In a major breakthrough in the government’s ongoing campaign against left-wing extremism, 108 Maoists surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district on Wednesday, officials said. The surrendered insurgents carried the bounty together ₹3.95 million crowns.
Authorities also recovered a large cache of weapons ₹3.61 crore in cash and one kilogram of gold worth around ₹1.64 crore from Maoist hideouts. According to Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj Pattilingam, this is the largest single recovery of cash and valuables in the history of anti-Naxal operations in India.
The development comes at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set March 31, 2026 as the target date for complete eradication of Naxalism from the country.
Officials added that six of the surrendered Maoists were members of the divisional committee, each carrying a reward ₹8 million on their heads.
Maoists surrender in Bastar
The cadres, who belong to the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of the Maoists, surrendered in Jagdalpur, the district headquarters of Bastar, Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj Pattilingam said.
The DKSZC formation of the banned CPI (Maoist) has in the past organized several deadly attacks in South Bastar.
Arms, cash recovered from Maoist dumps
The information provided by the surrendered cadres helped the security forces achieve significant successes, including the recovery of arms, cash and other materials from Maoist dumps, the official said.
A total of 101 weapons were seized, including AK-47, INSAS and SLR rifles, light machine guns, .303 caliber rifles and barrel grenade launchers. The seizure dealt a significant blow to the Maoist organization’s already weakened military capabilities, Pattilingam added.
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Key Maoist leaders among those who surrendered
Among those who surrendered were several key cadres including divisional committee members Rahul Telam, Pandru Kovasi and Jhitru Oyam from West Bastar division, Ramdhar alias Biru from East Bastar division and Mallesh from North Bastar division.
Others included Muchaki, a People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion commander, and Kosa Mandavi, a divisional committee member from the Maoist Andhra-Odisha border region, the official said.
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Maoist ideology is losing ground
The widespread surrender indicates that the Maoist ideology is waning and even members of the organization are questioning its relevance, Pattilingam said.
He added that many cadres were influenced by the ‘Poona Margem – Rehabilitation to Rejuvenation’ initiative and decided to leave violence and return to mainstream society.
Rehabilitation for surrendered cadres
Efforts are being made under the rehabilitation policies of the Center and Chhattisgarh government to ensure safety and dignified life of the surrendered cadres, the official said.
Of the 108 cadres surrendered, six were division committee members, three company committee commanders, 18 platoon party committee members, 23 area committee members and 56 party members, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma told reporters in Raipur.
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Maoists from several districts
District-wise, 37 Maoists belonged to Bijapur, 30 were from Dantewada, 18 from Sukma, 16 from Bastar, four from Narayanpur and three from Kanker.
The government aims to eliminate Naxalism by March 31, 2026, said Sharma, who is in charge of the Home Ministry.
Increasing surrenders in Chhattisgarh
Maoists are increasingly abandoning violence because of sustained security operations and the government’s rehabilitation policy, which offers them an opportunity to lead a peaceful life, he said.
According to the police, 2,714 Maoist cadres have returned to the mainstream in the state in the last 26 months after giving up violence.
In Bastar division alone, 2,625 Maoists surrendered between 1 January 2024 and 9 March 2026.
(With inputs from news agency PTI)
