Blow to insurgency: 103 Maoists surrender in Bijapur

AT to the lowest degree 103 Maoists,including 49 cadres carrying a cumulative repay of o'er ₹1.06 crore, surrendered before senior police force and paramilitary organisation officers in left wing extremism (LWE)-hit Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division on Thursday, officials said.The mass surrender, one of the biggest in recent times, held on Gandhi Jayanti, is described by security forces as a significant blow to the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) network as well as to its ideology of violence. According to officials, 410 Maoists have surrendered in Bijapur district so far this year, while 421 ultras have been arrested and 138 killed in encounters with security agencies.The mass surrender ceremony was attended by DIG (Dantewada range) Kamlochan Kashyap, IG (Keripu Sector) BS Negi, and Bijapur SP Jitendra Kumar Yadav. Each Maoist cadre who laid down arms were given a cheque of ₹50,000 as immediate assistance under the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.“The government’s rehabilitation policy is attracting Maoists. The relatives of those who surrender also want them to live a normal life and walk hand in hand with society,” SP Yadav said, and appealed to remaining ultras to accept the offer and reintegrate with their families.Among the key Maoist cadres who up arms on Thursday were Lacchu Punem (alias Santosh), the south sub-zonal bureau communication commander; Guddu Farsa (alias Vijay) of Company No 10; and Bhima Sodhi (alias Kamal Singh/Sukhdev), a senior PPCM and security-guard commander — all three carrying a reward of ₹8 lakh each on their head. Several other area-committee leaders, RPC and militia commanders, and members of the so-called Janatana Sarkar were also part of the group.Police released a detailed list of the surrendered cadres, which included a mix of senior functionaries and lower-rank militia members — many from Muria tribal communities in villages across Bhairamgarh, Gangalur and Nelsonar police station areas in Bijapur. Officials said most of the surrendered cadres were from the 18- 40 age group.The mass surrender comes days after 71 Maoists laid their arms in Dantewada district on September 24.The Bijapur police said the surrenders reflect a growing “malaise” within the Maoist organisation stemming from leadership losses in recent encounters, internal dissension, and the reach of development works and welfare schemes into previously inaccessible areas. The development also came amid intensified anti-Maoist operations by security agencies to meet the Union government’s March 2026 deadline to weed out left wing extremism from the country.Security officials highlighted the role of newly established interior security camps, expanded road and utility works, and community-oriented policing in persuading cadres to abandon the insurgency. They also underlined the contribution of joint anti-Naxal operations by DRG, district forces, STF and several Keripu and CoBRA battalions in creating the environment that led to the mass surrender.Maoist killed in encounterMeanwhile, a Maoist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur district on Thursday, police said,adding that arms and explosives were recovered from the site.The gunfight broke out around 11 am in the Gangalur police station area after security personnel launched a search operation based on information about Maoist presence in the region, police said.Intermittent firing continued between a joint team of security forces and Maoist cadres since morning. The body of the slain Maoist has been recovered, police said.“The operation is still underway, and a detailed report will be shared once it is completed,” SP Yadav said.