New Delhi: In a major breakthrough in Chhattisgarh’s anti-Maoist operations, 23 Naxalites, together carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 1.18 crore, surrendered before senior police and CRPF officials in Sukma district on Saturday. Among them was a high-ranking Maoist commander accused of several deadly attacks, signaling a significant blow to the insurgency in the Bastar region.
The surrendered group included 11 senior cadres, including Podiam Bhima alias Lokesh, a divisional committee member (DVCM) of the Maoist outfit. Bhima was carrying an Rs 8 lakh reward on his head and is infamously known for his role in the 2012 abduction of Sukma’s first collector, Alex Paul Menon, as well as the 2017 Burkapal attack and the 2021 Tekalguda encounter, which together claimed the lives of 46 security personnel.
Joining him were other high-profile cadres such as Ramesh alias Kamalu, the personal guard of Maoist Central Committee Member, Madvi Hidma, one of India’s most wanted Naxal leaders with a Rs 1 crore reward, and Madvi Joga, the security guard of BNPC leader Rajakka.
The surrender took place in the presence of CRPF DIGs Anand Singh Rajpurohit and Syed Mohammad Habib Asgar, along with Sukma SP Kiran Chavan. Each surrendered individual received Rs 50,000 in immediate assistance and will be rehabilitated under the state government’s revised 2025 Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy, which offers provisions for housing, education, and vocational training.
The group included one Divisional Committee Member (DVCM), six People’s Party Committee Members (PPCMs), four Area Committee Members (ACMs), and twelve lower-rank operatives. Many were part of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, one of the Maoists’ most potent armed units.
Names of key surrendering members include Ramesh alias Kalmu Kesa, Kavasi Masa, Praveen alias Sanjeev alias Madkam Hunga, Nuppo Gangi, and Punem Deve. All are designated as PPCMs or Platoon Commanders. Other important figures are Nuppo Lachhu alias Laxman, a guard of the PLGA Battalion HQ under SZCM Sannu Dada, Podiyam Sukhram, active in the PLGA Battalion No. 1, Dudhi Bhima, deputy commander of Platoon 4, ACMs like Muchaki Ranauti alias Hidme, Kalmu Dula, Dudhi Mangali, and Siddharth alias Madvi Inda, each with Rs 5 lakh bounties.
Among the lower-tier operatives are Hemla Rama (Rs 3 lakh reward), Sodi Hidme, Kawasi Joga, Rupa alias Bhime, Gagan alias Kartam Dudwa, Kawasi Hungi, Karam Bhima, and Madkam Nande, each with Rs 1 lakh bounties.
The development comes just a day after 22 Naxalites surrendered in Narayanpur district, taking the total number of insurgents who laid down arms in the past 24 hours to 45. State officials believe these coordinated surrenders indicate growing dissent within the Maoist ranks and declining faith in the armed rebellion.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai welcomed the development, stating on social media, “Bastar is undergoing a transformation. The echoes of gunfire are fading, replaced by the voice of democracy. The surrender of 23 Naxalites in Sukma is a testament to growing trust in peace, development, and our government’s vision.”
According to the state government, over the past 15 months alone, 1,521 Naxalites have surrendered, driven by increasing disillusionment with Maoist ideology, internal factionalism, and the impact of schemes like Niyad Nellnar, aimed at delivering governance and development to remote tribal regions.
The success is largely attributed to the state’s updated 2025 surrender and rehabilitation policy, which has provided former insurgents with a structured reintegration plan, including financial support, housing, education, and skill training. Many of those who surrendered cited atrocities committed by Maoist leaders against tribal communities and widening internal cracks as their reasons for abandoning the insurgency.
Officials say the intelligence gathered from surrendered top-level cadres like Lokesh and Ramesh could prove crucial in dismantling the remaining Maoist network operating in southern Chhattisgarh.
With sustained operations, strategic governance, and community-driven development, the state is moving steadily toward its goal of a Naxalism-free Chhattisgarh, in line with the central government’s national security priorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
(With IANS inputs)
