Four Naxalites with total bounty of Rs 23 lakh surrender in Chhattisgarh's Kanker

Kanker (Chhattisgarh), Dec 10 (PTI) Four Naxalites, one of them involved in the 2009 Madanwada-Korkoti ambush that claimed the lives of 29 security personnel, surrendered in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, a senior police official said.

The cadres, including two women, collectively carried a reward of Rs 23 lakh, he said.

They turned themselves in before senior police and Border Security Force (BSF) officials here under the "Poona Margem (from rehabilitation to social reintegration) initiative, Kanker Senior Superintendent of Police I K Elesela said.

The initiative, launched by Bastar range police, has been emerging as a transformative initiative for establishing lasting peace, dignity and comprehensive progress in the region comprising seven districts, including Kanker, he said.

Of the surrendered cadres, Kajal alias Rajita Vedada (19), who was active as a member company no. 10 in Gadchirol (Maharashtra) division of Maoists, carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh, he said.

Three others - Manjula alias Laxmi Potai (37), Vilas alias Chaitu Usendi (42) and Ramsai alias Lakhan Marrapi (42) - carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, he said.

Between 2006 and 2025, Potai, a member of technical team of west Bastar division, was involved in 16 Naxal incidents, including the 2009 Madanwada-Korkoti ambush in which the then Rajnandgaon district Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinod Choubey and 28 other security personnel were killed, he said.

Similarly, from 2004 to 2025, Marrapi, an area committee member, was involved in more than 42 Maoist incidents, including the 2008 Gumdideeh-Konde ambush, in which six security personnel lost their lives and the 2019 Mahla ambush wherein 4 jawans were killed, he said.

Under the rehabilitation policy, the surrendered cadres were provided an instant assistance of Rs 50,000 each, he said.

"The Chhattisgarh government's rehabilitation policy has been attracting Maoists. The families of those who are surrendering also want them to lead normal lives and move forward hand in hand with society," Elesela said.

"Maoists should abandon their misleading and violent ideologies, and return fearlessly to the mainstream of society. The government's 'Poona Margem' policy is providing every possible facility to ensure their future is secure, dignified, and self-reliant," he added.

More than 2,380 Naxalites, including top cadres, have surrendered in Chhattisgarh in the last two years, police said.

The Centre has resolved to eliminate Naxalism from the country by March 31, 2026. PTI COR TKP NP