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Journalism of Courage
As many as 33 Maoists with a collective bounty of over Rs 50 lakh surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma and Bijapur districts on Friday, police said.
While 22 cadres, including nine women, turned themselves in before senior officials of the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) earlier in the day, later 11 others, including two women, surrendered before police officials, they said.
Police said apart from getting Rs 50,000 each for surrendering as per the new rehabilitation policy, the Maoists who surrendered will also get the bounty.
“Among them, 11 Maoists are from Badesetti village in Sukma. With these surrenders, the village’s gram panchayat has declared itself Naxal-free. It will now become the first village to receive Rs 1 crore worth development work for declaring itself Naxal-free as per government’s decision,” said Sukma SP Kiran Chavan.
Chavan said the cadres included Muchaki Joga (33), deputy commander in PLGA (people’s liberation guerrilla army) company no. 1 under the Maad division of Maoists, and his wife Muchaki Jogi (28), a member of the same squad, who carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh each.
Among the others were Kikid Deve (30) and Manoj alias Dudhi Budhra (28), both area committee members of Maoists carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each, he said.
The official said seven surrendered cadres carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each, while another Naxalite carried a reward of Rs 50,000.
Complimenting the Chhattisgarh Police for their success in anti-naxal operations which led to the recent arrests and surrender, Union Home Minister Amit Shah posted on X: “Cobra Commandos and Chhattisgarh Police have arrested 22 notorious Naxalites with modern weapons and explosive materials in various operations in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. Also, 11 Naxalites have surrendered in the Badesetti Panchayat of Sukma, due to which this Panchayat has become completely Naxal-free.”
Reiterating the March 2026 deadline for eradicating Naxalism from India, Shah added, “I appeal to the hiding Naxalites to lay down arms as soon as possible and join the mainstream by adopting the surrender policy of the Modi government. We are determined to free the country from the scourge of Naxalism before 31 March 2026. I congratulate the security forces and Chhattisgarh Police for this success in the direction of the Naxal-free India campaign.”
With PTI inputs
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