9 Maoists with Rs 45 lakh bounty surrender in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district

Gariaband (Chhattisgarh), Jan 19 (PTI) Nine Naxalites carrying a cumulative reward of Rs 45 lakh surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district on Monday, a police official said, in continuous trend of rebels laying down arms ahead of the Centre's deadline to eradicate Left-wing extremism.

The surrendered cadres, including six women, belonged to Sinapali and SDK (Sonabeda-Dharambandha-Kholibatar area committees of Naxals and they turned themselves in before senior police officials here citing disillusionment with the "hollow" Maoist ideology and hardships of forest life, Inspector General of Police, Raipur Range, Amresh Mishra said.

They were also impressed by the state government's surrender and rehabilitation policy and learnt, through newspapers and local villagers, that many of their former colleagues have been availing its benefits, including healthcare facilities, housing, and employment opportunities, he said.

Of the nine cadres, four -- Anju alias Kavita (40), a divisional committee member and SDK area committee secretary, Baldev alias Wamanwatti, in-charge of Sinapali area committee, Damru alias Mahadev (35), another divisional committee member, and Soni alias Budri (37), Sinapali area committee secretary -- carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh each (total Rs 32 lakh), he said.

Another key cadre, Ranjit alias Govind, a Sinapali area committee member, carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, informed the IPS officer.

These five cadres also surrendered three AK-47 rifles and two Single Loading Rifles (SLRs), he said.

Among others, Parvati alias Sukki Karam (37), an area committee member carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, and three other cadres carried a bounty of Rs 1 lakh each, Mishra said.

With this, 180 Naxalites have surrendered so far this year in the state.

Associated with the outlawed outfit CPI (Maoist) since 2004, Anju, a resident of state's Sukma district, was wanted in 19 cases registered in Gariaband district, while Baldev, a native of Bastar district, was wanted in 29 cases in Gariaband, the IGP said.

Mishra said sustained efforts were being made to persuade members of all active Maoist area committees in the district to surrender under the government's rehabilitation policy.

On January 15, as many as 52 Naxalites, 49 of them carrying a collective bounty of over Rs 1.41 crore, surrendered Bijapur district which falls in the Bastar region of the state.

More than 1,500 Naxalites surrendered in the state in 2025.

The Centre has resolved to eliminate Naxalism from the country by March 31 this year. PTI COR TKP RSY