In a significant blow to Maoist insurgency, 22 Naxalites, including nine women and 12 carrying a collective bounty of Rs 40.5 lakh, surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Friday.

Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan stated that the cadres, disillusioned by the “hollow” and “inhuman” Maoist ideology and its atrocities on tribals, turned themselves in to senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials.

The surrendered Naxalites, active in the Maad (Chhattisgarh) and Nuapada (Odisha) Maoist divisions, were influenced by the state’s ‘Niyad Nellanar’ scheme, which promotes development in remote villages, and the revamped ‘Chhattisgarh Naxal Surrender/Victim Relief and Rehabilitation Policy-2025’.

Also Read: UP Tragedy! 11-Year-Old Commits Suicide for Being Scolded

Key among them were Muchaki Joga (33), deputy commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) company no. 1, and his wife Muchaki Jogi (28), both carrying Rs 8 lakh bounties. Area committee members Kikid Deve (30) and Manoj alias Dudhi Budhra (28) each had Rs 5 lakh rewards, while seven others carried Rs 2 lakh each and one had a Rs 50,000 bounty.

Chavan noted that the cadres were involved in multiple attacks on security forces. The surrender was facilitated by coordinated efforts from the district police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), CRPF, and its elite CoBRA unit.

Each surrendered Naxalite received Rs 50,000 in immediate assistance and will benefit from rehabilitation programs, including education, employment, and land allocation, as per the state’s policy.

This follows a trend of surrenders, with 792 Naxalites laying down arms in the Bastar region, including Sukma, in 2024, reflecting the success of intensified anti-Naxal operations and rehabilitation initiatives.

Also Read: Tunnel Thieves! LA Burglars Tunnel Through Concrete and Steal $10 million