A 15-year-old cadre of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) surrendered before Rourkela police on Thursday, handing over a fully functional 9mm carbine along with ammunition. This surrender comes amid sustained counter-insurgency operations in the Odisha-Jharkhand border areas, signalling increasing disillusionment among younger members of the outlawed group who are facing mounting pressure from security forces.

The teenager, identified as Roya Kalundi alias Ganesh, belongs to Kontodya village under Jamda police limits in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district. He had been actively involved in Maoist activities within the dense Saranda forest, one of Asia's largest sal forests and a longstanding stronghold for the rebels, where the group conducts training, stores arms, and plans operations across the state border.

Police authorities revealed that Ganesh was recruited into the organisation in 2022 at the tender age of 12, influenced by senior cadres Rappa and Gunga, and later worked under the command of local leader Mochhu. Designated as a category B member of the South Chhotanagpur division, he was directly linked to four major violent incidents in Sundargarh district during 2025, including the looting of an explosives-laden vehicle in May, a deadly IED blast in June that claimed the life of a CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector, and the sabotage of railway tracks in August that killed a railway worker and severely injured another.

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Following his surrender, Ganesh shared detailed accounts of these operations with investigators, providing valuable intelligence that is expected to strengthen ongoing efforts against remaining Maoist units in the region. His decision to quit was driven by constant threats to his life, the extreme hardships of jungle survival, and a growing rejection of the group's ideology.

Entitled to benefits under Odisha's attractive surrender and rehabilitation policy, including financial assistance, vocational training, and support for reintegration, Ganesh's case is seen as a positive example. Senior officials, including DIG Brijesh Kumar Rai and SP Nitesh Wadhwani, noted that the policy's incentives are prompting several other cadres to consider laying down arms, contributing to the gradual decline of left-wing extremism in the area.

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