In a significant triumph for Chhattisgarh’s anti-Naxal campaign, Geeta, alias Kamli Salam, a high-ranking female Maoist commander with a Rs 5 lakh bounty, surrendered before Superintendent of Police Akshay Kumar in Kondagaon district on October 18, 2025. As the Tailor Team Commander in the East Bastar Division, Geeta’s decision to lay down arms marks a critical setback for the CPI (Maoist) in the Dandakaranya region, reflecting the growing erosion of the insurgency’s influence in central India.

Geeta cited disillusionment with the Maoist ideology and inspiration from recent mass surrenders as key reasons for her defection, according to police sources. Intensified security operations and internal discord within the Maoist ranks further pressured her to abandon militancy.

Her surrender follows a historic event on October 17, when 210 Maoists, including a Central Committee member and four Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee leaders, surrendered before Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, handing over 153 weapons, including AK-47s and grenade launchers. This wave of defections echoes a similar surrender of 60 cadres, led by senior Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal Rao (Rs 6 crore bounty), in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district earlier this week.

Under Chhattisgarh’s Naxalism Eradication Policy, Geeta has been granted an immediate Rs 50,000 incentive, with further rehabilitation support to aid her reintegration into society. The state’s comprehensive framework aims to restore lives affected by extremism, offering a path to normalcy for former insurgents. Police officials view her surrender as a sign of the Maoist movement’s weakening grip, bolstered by sustained security efforts and community-focused development initiatives.

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The back-to-back surrenders underscore the success of Chhattisgarh’s dual strategy of aggressive operations and rehabilitation. Chief Minister Sai has hailed these developments as evidence of Naxalism’s collapse, emphasizing trust and dialogue over violence. As more cadres abandon the insurgency, Geeta’s surrender could inspire further defections, paving the way for lasting peace in the volatile Bastar region.

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