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Sonu’s surrender in Maharashtra has ripples in Chhattisgarh, 50 Maoists from Abujhmad lay down arms

Those who surrendered include senior Maoists leaders from Abujhmad, and sources said more surrenders are expected in the coming days.

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Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu. (File Photo)

A day after Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu, 70 — politburo member and one of the three remaining top leaders of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) — surrendered before the Gadchiroli Police, another 50 Maoists laid down arms in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district Wednesday.

Those who surrendered include senior Maoists leaders from Abujhmad, and sources said more surrenders are expected in the coming days.

The 50 Maoists, including two members of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) — the outfit’s topmost state-level body — surrendered before the Border Security Force (BSF). The Dandakaranya region includes Bastar’s seven districts and border areas of Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

The two DKSZC members, Rajman Mandavi and Raju Salam, surrendered along with five Divisional Committee Members (DVCMs), 21 Area Committee Members (ACMs) and 22 party members. Among the 50, 32 are women and 18 are men.

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A total of 39 weapons were surrendered, including seven AK-47 rifles, two self-loading rifles (SLRs), four INSAS rifles, one light machine gun (LMG), 12 .303 rifles, one barrel grenade launcher (BGL) and five 12-bore rifles.

Abujhmad, also known as Maad, is an unsurveyed forested region larger than the state of Goa, spread over about 4,000 sq km across Narayanpur, Kanker, Bijapur, Dantewada in Chhattisgarh and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. Since the 1980s, Maoists — including Sonu — had made Maad their stronghold.

Read | With surrender of Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu, Maoists suffer setback to ideology, communication and people connect

The latest surrender marks a major success for security forces, who launched the ‘Maad Bachao Abhiyan’ (Save Maad Campaign) in 2024 to root out Naxalism from the region. Since last year, over 100 Maoists have been killed in and around Maad.

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In May this year, top leader Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basava Raju, 70, the party’s general secretary, was gunned down in Abujhmad, followed by Central Committee Members Katta Ramachandra Reddy, 63, and Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy, 67, in September.

Jayprakash S Naidu

Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More

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