51 Naxalites with Rs 1.61 crore bounty surrender in Chhattisgarh's Sukma, Bijapur

As many as 51 Naxalites carrying a collective bounty of Rs 1.61 crore surrendered before the police on February 7, 2026, in two districts of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division, marking a major success for security forces in the region.

Of the total, 21 Naxalites surrendered in Sukma district, while 30 Maoist cadres laid down arms in neighbouring Bijapur under the “Puna Margem – Rehabilitation to Renewal” campaign, a joint rehabilitation initiative of the Central and State governments.

Senior police officials said the surrendered cadres included 24 women, many of whom were holding active and important positions in the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation.

In Sukma, the surrender took place before Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam and Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan, where the cadres formally joined the national mainstream holding the Tricolour and the Constitution. Sundarraj said the 21 active Maoist cadres had decided to abandon the path of violence and return to the mainstream, adding that the development clearly indicated that Naxalism was now in its final phase.

Police said the surrendered cadres in Sukma belonged to the Darbha division, South Bastar division and the Kalahandi–Kandhamal–Boudh–Nayagarh division of Odisha. Among them were three Divisional Committee Members — Sodhi Mahesh, Podiyam Raju and Karam Mamta — each carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh. Five Area Committee Members carried a bounty of 5 lakh each, while the remaining cadres were active party members operating in different platoons and area committees. The total reward on the 21 cadres stood at 76 lakh, including 14 women.

During the surrender in Sukma, the cadres deposited a significant cache of weapons and explosives, including three AK-47 rifles with eight magazines and 120 rounds, two SLR rifles with four magazines and 40 rounds, one INSAS rifle with 50 rounds, three Barrel Grenade Launchers with 20 rounds, five single-shot guns, gelatin sticks, detonators and cordex wire.

In Bijapur district, 30 Maoist cadres associated with the South Sub-Zonal Bureau surrendered under the Puna Margem campaign in the presence of senior police and security force officials. The surrender coincided with the visit of the Hon’ble President of India to the Bastar region, symbolising a shift towards peace and reintegration. Police said the group included 20 women and 10 men, with a collective reward of Rs 85 lakh declared earlier based on their organisational ranks and roles.

Authorities said the surrendered cadres renounced violence and extremist ideology and chose to return to the social mainstream under the Chhattisgarh government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy. Each surrendered cadre was provided Rs 50,000 as immediate financial assistance, and further legal and rehabilitation procedures are underway to ensure long-term reintegration. During the surrender process in Bijapur, the cadres voluntarily handed over one bundle of cordex wire and 50 gelatin sticks.

Police officials said the surrenders were the result of sustained and coordinated efforts by security forces, effective implementation of the state’s anti-Naxal policy and consistent outreach in remote and sensitive areas.

Data shared by the police showed that from January 1, 2024 to the present, Bijapur district has recorded 918 Maoist surrenders, 1,163 arrests and 232 Maoists neutralised in encounters. Multiple forces, including DRG, District Police, STF, CoBRA units and CRPF battalions, supported the confidence-building measures.

Sukma SP Kiran Chavan said the district police were fully committed to the rehabilitation and secure future of the surrendered cadres. Bijapur Superintendent of Police Dr. Jitendra Kumar Yadav appealed to remaining Maoist cadres to abandon violence and return to the mainstream, saying that the Puna Margem policy offers a secure, dignified and self-reliant future.

The surrender comes as the March 31, 2026 deadline to eliminate Naxalism approaches. With this development, the number of surrenders across Chhattisgarh this year has reached around 300, while more than 1,500 Naxalites surrendered in the state in 2025. Reacting to the development, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said the surrenders marked another significant step towards restoring peace, trust and development in the Bastar region, adding that all necessary support would be provided for rehabilitation, skill development and self-reliance.