SRINAGAR: As many as 103 Maoists, including 22 women and 49 cadres carrying a combined bounty of over Rs 1 crore, surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on late Thursday, police said, according to NDTV.
The surrender took place in the presence of senior police officers and personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Officials said the rebels decided to lay down arms owing to growing disillusionment with what they described as the “hollow” ideology of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and rising internal rifts within its leadership.
Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav confirmed the development, stating that the move was part of sustained security operations coupled with outreach initiatives aimed at encouraging Maoists to join the mainstream.
According to police records, the 49 Maoists who had cash rewards on their heads were wanted in connection with several violent incidents, including attacks on security personnel and acts of extortion. Their surrender is being seen as a significant setback to the CPI (Maoist), which has been grappling with dwindling support in its strongholds across south Bastar.
Officials added that those who surrendered would be rehabilitated under the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, which provides monetary assistance, vocational training, and opportunities for reintegration into society.
The surrender comes amid intensified anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh, with security agencies working to weaken the group’s organisational base in the Bastar region, one of the most affected zones in the decades-long insurgency.
