Security personnel sit next to weapons seized from Maoist rebels and fighters after their surrender at a police facility in Dantewada in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division on March 31, 2026. Photo credit: AFP
As many as 44 Maoists from five districts of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division surrendered to security forces on Tuesday (March 31, 2026), a senior police officer said.
The surrender led to the recovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition besides cash of ₹3 crore and gold worth over ₹11 crore, which were put on display on Tuesday (March 31, 2026), the officer added, stressing the importance of the date set by the Center as the deadline to eliminate Maoism from the country.
“On this crucial day of Mission 2026, 44 Maoist cadres in Bastar region renounced the path of violence and adopted a traditional way of life – a significant step towards peace and trust in the region,” the officer said, adding that 25 of them were in Bijapur district and 11 in Kanker district. The remaining were from Dantewada, Sukma and Bijapur, he added.
Regarding the recovery of weapons and valuables from dumps, the officer said that a total of 217 weapons, including Light Machine Guns (LMGs), AK-47s, INSAS rifles and Self-loading Rifles (SLRs), have been recovered from various Maoist dumps and cadres in the past few days.
“A new milestone has now been set when 7.2 kg gold (worth around ₹ 11.16 crore) was recovered from another Maoist dump; this recovery was showcased today on this crucial day of the mission,” the officer added.
While recovering the cash, a police officer said that a total of ₹ 3 crore in cash (₹ 2.90 crore from Bijapur district and ₹ 10 lakh from Sukma district) was recovered from Maoist dumps.
In a related development, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that Chhattisgarh is now free from Maoism. He also added that Maoist-free Chhattisgarh is ready to enter a “new era of development, confidence and prosperity”.
Published – 31 March 2026 21:53 IST
