63 Naxalites Surrender In Chhattisgarh, Including 36 With Collective Bounty Of Over Rs 1.19 Crore

At least 63 Naxalites, of whom 36 were carrying a collective bounty of over Rs 1.19 crore, surrendered before authorities in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Friday, according to a senior police official.

The cadres, including 18 women, turned themselves in before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials here under ‘Poona Margem’ (from rehabilitation to social reintegration) initiative, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai told news agency PTI.

Rai said the Naxalites were active in the south Bastar division, the west Bastar division, Maad division in the state, and in areas bordering Odisha. Seven of the cadres carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh each.

These Naxalites have been identified as Paklu, alias Pradip Oyam (45), who was the secretary of the Kalahandi area committee of Maoists; Mohan, alias Azad Kadti (32), a divisional committee member; his wife Sumitra, alias Droupati Chapa (30), Bhairamarh area committee secretary; Hungi, alias Radhika Lekam (28), platoon party committee member; Sukhram Tati (20), member of Company no. 1; Pandu Madkam (19), member of Company no. 7, and Somdu Kadti (21), who was also a member of the same wing.

Seven other cadres carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, 8 cadres had a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each, 11 cadres of Rs 1 lakh each and three cadres of Rs 50,000 each, Rai said, adding that these 36 cadres carried a collective reward of Rs 1.19 crore.

He said all 63 Naxalites will be provided with immediate assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government’s policy. This came after 26 Naxalites had surrendered in the neighbouring Sukma district.

2025 witnessed the highest number of surrenders alongside a sharp rise in security operations, according to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Official figures show that between 2014 and 1 December 2025, security forces killed 1,841 cadres, arrested 16,336 and facilitated the surrender of 9,588 extremists across affected states.

The year 2025 has emerged as a turning point, with 2,167 surrenders recorded so far, the highest for any single year in the period under review. During the same year, 335 LWE cadres were neutralised, also the highest annual figure, indicating intensified and targeted counter-insurgency operations.

(with inputs from PTI)