15 Naxalites surrender in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, total bounties over Rs 1 crore

In separate incidents in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, a total of 15 Naxalites surrendered to authorities on Wednesday, carrying cumulative bounties of over Rs 1 crore.

In Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, four Naxalites, including two women, laid down their arms before senior police and Border Security Force (BSF) officials under the state government’s “Poona Margem” initiative, aimed at rehabilitating Maoists and promoting social reintegration, Kanker Senior Superintendent of Police I K Elesela said.

Among those who surrendered was Kajal alias Rajita Vedada (19), a member of company no. 10 in Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) division of Maoists, carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh. The other three – Manjula alias Laxmi Potai (37), Vilas alias Chaitu Usendi (42), and Ramsai alias Lakhan Marrapi (42) – had bounties of Rs 5 lakh each, making the total Rs 23 lakh.

Potai was involved in 16 Naxal incidents between 2006 and 2025, including the 2009 Madanwada-Korkoti ambush that killed 29 security personnel. Marrapi, an area committee member, was involved in more than 42 incidents, including the 2008 Gumdideeh-Konde ambush and the 2019 Mahla ambush. Each surrendered cadre received an instant assistance of Rs 50,000 under the state’s rehabilitation policy.

“The Poona Margem policy provides every possible facility to ensure the surrendered Maoists’ future is secure, dignified, and self-reliant,” Elesela said, adding that more than 2,380 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh in the last two years. The Centre has set a target to eliminate Naxalism by March 31, 2026.

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, 11 senior Naxalites, carrying a total reward of Rs 82 lakh, surrendered before Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla. Four of the cadres were in ‘uniform’ when they laid down their arms. Those who surrendered included divisional committee members Ramesh Lekami (57) and Bhima Kowasi (35), platform party committee members Poriye Gota (41), Ratan Oyam (32), and Kamal Veladi (30), area committee members Poriye Veladi (36) and Ramaji Pungati (35), and platoon members Sonu Kato (19), Prakash Pungati (22), Sita Pallo (22), and Sainath Made (23).

The Maharashtra government, in coordination with the Centre, has announced collective rehabilitation assistance of Rs 10 lakh for groups of surrendering Maoists. According to officials, intensified anti-Maoist operations and the government’s surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy have led to 146 hardcore Naxalites surrendering in Gadchiroli since 2022, including 112 this year.

Officials noted that disillusionment with Maoist ideology and the desire for a normal life have been key factors driving the surrenders in both states.