Chhattisgarh: 44 Maoists surrender across Bastar; major recoveries reported in four districts

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Raipur : Over 30 Maoist cadres surrendered across the Bastar region in four districts on Tuesday, police said. Representational file image. (Reuters)Authorities reiterated their appeal to the remaining Maoist cadres to abandon violence and join the mainstream, noting the limited window to avail rehabilitation benefits as the Union government's deadline to eliminate left wing extremism (LWE) ends on Tuesday. In Bijapur, 25 Maoists, including 12 women, laid down arms under the ‘Puna Margem (new way) – Rehabilitation to Renewal’ initiative. The cadres, linked to the Dandakaranya special zonal committee (DKSZC), carried a cumulative bounty of ₹1.47 crore. Authorities reported the recovery of assets worth ₹14.06 crore, including ₹2.90 crore in cash and 7.20 kg of gold, along with 93 weapons such as LMGs, AK-47s, SLRs and INSAS rifles. In Dantewada district, five Maoist cadres, including four women, surrendered under the same initiative. The cadres—identified as Some Kadti, Lakhma Oyam, Sarita Podiyam, Jogi Kalmu and Moti Oyam—were associated with the DKSZC’s West Bastar division and carried a combined reward of ₹9 lakh. Based on intelligence inputs, security forces recovered 40 weapons from Maoist dumps in Dantewada, including SLRs, INSAS rifles, a carbine, a .303 rifle and barrel grenade launchers (BGLs). In Sukma, two Maoist cadres, each carrying a reward of ₹8 lakh, surrendered under the 'Puna Margem' campaign. Officials said they were active as company members in Odisha. Security forces recovered ₹10 lakh in cash along with weapons such as an INSAS LMG, AK-47 and .303 rifles from forest dumps. In Narayanpur district, one Maoist cadre carrying a reward of ₹1 lakh surrendered before Superintendent of Police Robinson Guria under the ‘Maad Bachao Abhiyan’ (broadly translated as the 'save Abujhmaad campaign'). The surrendered cadre was identified as Bijlu Mandavi (26). Police said a joint operation by district police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), ITBP and BSF led to the recovery of 59 weapons, 1,856 live rounds and 581 items related to explosives and IEDs. Additionally, at least 330 barrel grenade launcher (BGL) rounds were seized. The seizure included detonators, around 300 metres of cordex wire, over 20 units of prima cord, more than 55 kg of explosive substances (including gunpowder, sulphur and urea), grenades, batteries, electronic devices and daily-use items. Officials said the operation was carried out over the past month in remote and sensitive areas with active support from local villagers and intelligence inputs, significantly damaging the Maoists’ logistics, arms supply and IED-making capabilities. Police added that in Narayanpur district 302 Maoist cadres have surrendered in 2025–26 and 270 weapons have been recovered. In Kanker district, 11 Maoist cadres surrendered between March 25 and March 31, including two on Tuesday. Officials attributed the surge in surrenders to sustained operations, intelligence-based outreach and confidence-building measures by security forces. The coordinated surrenders and large-scale recoveries are being seen as a significant milestone in Bastar, long affected by Maoist insurgency, as security forces push towards what they describe as the final phase of the campaign. State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh. Reports Maoism, Politics, Mining and important developments from the state. Covered all sorts of extremism in Central India. Reported from Madhya Pradesh for eight years.Read More