Chhattisgarh: 21 Naxals surrender in Kanker; hand over 18 weapons, including AK-47s

Kanker, Oct 26 (PTI) As many as 21 Maoist cadres surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Sunday after handing over 18 weapons to authorities, a police official said.

They laid down arms under 'Poona Margem: Rehabilitation through Reintegration' initiative started by Bastar Range police, the official added.

"The 21 includes Division Committee Secretary Mukesh. Thirteen are women ultras. The 21 comprise four divisional committee members, nine area committee members and eight part of the outlawed movement's lower rungs. They all belong to Kuemari/Kiskodo Area Committee of the Keshkal Division (North Sub-Zonal Bureau) of the Communist Party of India (Maoist)," the official said.

They handed over three AK-47s, two INSAS rifles, four SLR rifles, six .303 rifles, two single shot rifles and a Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL), the official added.

Earlier, on October 17, a total of 210 Naxalites, including Central Committee Member Rupesh alias Satish, carrying a cumulative reward of Rs 9.18 crore had surrendered in Jagdalpur in Bastar district. They also handed over 153 weapons.

On October 2, as many as 103 Naxalites, 49 of them carrying a collective bounty of more than Rs 1.06 crore, had surrendered in Bijapur district of Bastar region. PTI COR BNM