50 Maoists, Including 14 With ₹68 Lakh Bounty, Surrender In Bijapur Ahead Of PM Modi’s Chhattisgarh Visit

Fifty Maoists, including 14 with a total bounty of ₹68 lakh, surrendered to security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Sunday, just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state. The rebels laid down their arms before senior officials from the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

According to Bijapur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jitendra Kumar Yadav, the surrendered Maoists cited their disillusionment with the ideology, internal conflicts, and the exploitation of tribals by senior cadres as key reasons for their decision. Additionally, the state government's 'Niya Nellanar' (Your Good Village) initiative, which aims to provide basic amenities in remote regions, played a significant role in persuading them to abandon the insurgency, he added.

Among those who surrendered, six carried a bounty of ₹8 lakh each, three had rewards of ₹5 lakh, and five were wanted with ₹1 lakh bounties. The surrender was facilitated by various security forces, including the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), CRPF, and its elite CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit. Officials stated that the former Maoists would be rehabilitated under the government's policy to reintegrate them into mainstream society.

The mass surrender took place just hours before PM Modi's scheduled visit to Chhattisgarh, where he is set to lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects worth over ₹33,700 crore.

Meanwhile, security forces scored another major success on Saturday by eliminating 18 Naxals, including 11 women, in separate encounters in Sukma and Bijapur districts of the Bastar region. These operations are part of the ongoing mission to eradicate Naxalism by March 31, 2026.