Six Maoists, Including Three Women, Surrender in Bijapur, Weapons Recovered in Sukma

Six Maoists, including three women, carrying a combined bounty of Rs 35 lakh surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Monday, while security forces recovered a cache of arms, ammunition and explosives from a Maoist dump in neighbouring Sukma, officials said.

Bijapur Superintendent of Police Umesh Prasad Gupta said four of the six surrendered cadres were active in Odisha. They laid down their arms after being influenced by the Chhattisgarh government's Naxalite Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy and rehabilitation initiatives.

The cadres also cited increased security-force pressure, the weakened organisational structure of the outlawed outfit, disillusionment with its ideology and development in tribal areas as reasons for returning to the mainstream, Gupta said.

Among those who surrendered were Rani Sodhi alias Sandhya, her husband Santosh Kudiyam alias Sukku, and Pando Podiyam alias Sasmita. Each carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh. Kosa Madvi also carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakh, while Deve Madkam had a reward of Rs 2 lakh and Lalu Tati Rs 1 lakh.

The surrendered cadres were allegedly involved in attacks on security forces in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, the SP said. They will receive financial assistance, housing, education, skill development and employment support under the rehabilitation policy.

In a separate operation, a joint team of district police, the District Reserve Guard and Bastar Fighters recovered weapons and explosives from a forested area near Palachalma village under Kistaram police station limits in Sukma.

The seizure included two .303 rifles, four barrel grenade launchers, three 12-bore rifles, a country-made pistol, INSAS magazines, ammunition, an arrow bomb, grenade-launcher shells, a wireless set and 208 non-electric detonators.

Police said search and area-domination operations have intensified across Bastar's seven districts to locate weapons and explosives concealed by Maoists.