Chhattisgarh: 22 Maoists surrender in Bijapur, including 4 with ₹26 lakh bounty

Raipur: At least 22 Maoists, including four with a collective bounty of ₹26 lakh, have surrendered before the security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, a day after 26 Maoist cadres laid down their arms in the neighbouring Dantewada district, police said on Wednesday.

The cadres, which included six women, gave up arms before senior officials of the police and central reserve police force (CRPF), citing disillusionment with the Maoist ideology, internal rifts, and the inhuman practices within the outfit, said Bijapur superintendent of police (SP) Jitendra Kumar Yadav.

“The state government’s flagship ‘Niyad Nellanar’ (Your Good Village) scheme that aims to boost development in remote areas near security camps has encouraged many to surrender,” Yadav said.

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Among those who surrendered were Kamli Hemla (32), a member of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, and Muya Madvi (19), affiliated with a Maoist company under the Telangana State Committee. Both carried a reward of ₹8 lakh each.

Additionally, Sonu Tati (28), a press team commander in the West Bastar Division, and Mahesh Punem, a PLGA member from the Bhairamgarh area committee, each with a ₹5 lakh bounty, also surrendered.

According to police data, 179 Maoists have surrendered in Bijapur district so far this year. Additionally, 83 have been killed and 172 arrested in separate operations during the same period.

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The surrendered individuals were each given ₹50,000 as immediate assistance and will be rehabilitated under the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.

Across the larger Bastar region—which includes seven districts such as Bijapur and Dantewada—at least 792 Maoists have surrendered in 2024, reflecting a steady erosion in the strength of Maoist forces in the state.