Twenty-nine Maoist cadres surrendered in Sukma district under Chhattisgarh’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.
Police said intensified operations after a security camp was set up in Gogunda weakened Maoist activity in the Darbha division.
More than 1,500 Naxalites have surrendered in the state in 2025, with the Centre targeting elimination of Naxalism by March 31.
As many as 29 cadres linked to the banned CPI (Maoist) surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Wednesday, marking another instance of defections from the outlawed organisation amid intensified counter-insurgency operations in the Bastar region, according to PTI.
The cadres, all active members of frontal wings of the Maoist organisation, turned themselves in before senior police and CRPF officials under the “Poona Margem” (from rehabilitation to social reintegration) initiative, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said, PTI reported.
They were motivated by the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, Chavan said.
Among those who surrendered was Podiam Budhra, head of the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Majdoor Sangthan (DAKMS), a Maoist frontal wing, in the Gogunda area. Budhra was carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head. The remaining cadres were associated with DAKMS, the militia, and the Janatana Sarkar wings of the Maoists, the official said, according to PTI.
Chavan said the recent establishment of a security camp in the Gogunda area played a key role in the surrender. Following the setting up of the camp, intensified anti-Naxal operations, sustained pressure and continuous search operations significantly curtailed Maoist activities in the region, he said.
The Gogunda area, known for its difficult and remote terrain, was earlier considered a safe and strategic base for the Maoists’ Darbha division. However, after the security camp was established, the Maoist stronghold was effectively dismantled, Chavan said. With the latest surrender, the Maoists’ support system in the Darbha division has also been weakened, he added.
Appealing to those still associated with the banned organisation, Chavan urged them to give up violence, assuring them security and a respectable life, PTI reported.
The surrender in Sukma follows similar developments in neighbouring districts. On January 8, as many as 63 Naxalites surrendered in Dantewada district, while 26 cadres laid down arms in Sukma on January 7.
According to PTI, more than 1,500 Naxalites surrendered across Chhattisgarh in 2025. The Centre has stated that it has resolved to eliminate Naxalism from the country by March 31 this year.
(With inputs from PTI)
