9 Naxalites carrying ₹47 lakh reward surrender in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari

Nine Naxalites , carrying a cumulative reward of ₹47 lakh , surrendered before police in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district on Friday, marking another significant setback for Left Wing Extremism in the region, officials said.

The surrendered cadres including seven women were members of the Nagri and Sitanadi area committees and the Mainpur Local Guerrilla Squad (LGS) operating under the Dhamtari-Gariaband-Nuapada division of the Odisha Maoist committee, Inspector General of Police (Raipur Range) Amresh Mishra said.

Among those who surrendered were Jyoti alias Jaini (28) , secretary of the Sitanadi Area Committee, and Usha alias Balamma (45) , a Divisional Committee Member (DCM). Both carried rewards of ₹8 lakh each .

Six other cadres Ramdas Markam (30), Roni alias Uma (25), Niranjan alias Podia (25), Sindhu alias Somadi (25), Reena alias Chiro (25), and Amila alias Sanni (25) carried bounties of ₹5 lakh each. Lakshmi Punem (18), the youngest among them, had a reward of ₹1 lakh on her head.

According to police, Balamma is a native of Telangana , while the remaining surrendered cadres belong to different districts of Chhattisgarh.

The ultras surrendered before senior police officials, citing disillusionment with Maoist ideology , hardships of life in forest camps, and growing pressure from security forces. They also said they were encouraged by the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy , Mishra said.

Five of the surrendered cadres handed over two INSAS rifles, two Single Loading Rifles (SLRs), a carbine, and a muzzle-loading gun, officials added.

“With this surrender, all listed Maoist cadres from lower-level operatives to senior leadership operating in Dhamtari and Gariaband districts under the Raipur police range, as well as adjoining Nuapada district of Odisha, have either been killed, surrendered, or are no longer active,” Mishra said.

He added that sustained efforts are underway to persuade remaining active Maoist elements across the district to give up violence and join the mainstream under the rehabilitation policy.

With this development, 189 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh so far this year . Earlier, on January 19 , nine Naxalites carrying rewards worth ₹45 lakh surrendered in neighbouring Gariaband district. On January 15 , at least 52 Naxalites , including 49 carrying a collective bounty of over ₹1.41 crore, surrendered in Bijapur district in the Bastar region.

More than 1,500 Naxalites surrendered in the state in 2025 , officials said. The Centre has reiterated its resolve to eliminate Naxalism from the country by March 31.