Chhattisgarh: 52 Maoists with Rs 1.41 crore bounty surrender in Bijapur
16 Jan 2026 11:54:05
As many as 52 Maoists carrying a combined bounty of Rs 1.41 crore surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Thursday, marking another major instance of cadres returning to the mainstream.
The surrendered cadres belonged to the South Sub-Zonal Bureau, AOB division and the Bhamragarh area committee. Among them were 21 women and 31 men, officials said.
Police records showed that the group included one Divisional Committee Member, five company commander or PPCM rank cadres, 10 Area Committee Members, and eight division and bureau party members. Several others operated at the platoon, area committee, militia and mass organisation levels.
The district administration initiated the rehabilitation process immediately after the surrender. The state government provided an immediate financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to each surrendered cadre under its rehabilitation policy.
Authorities stated that from January 1, 2024, to date, a total of 876 Maoists have surrendered in Bijapur district. During the same period, security forces arrested 1,126 Maoists, while 223 shot dead in separate encounters.
Bijapur, Chhattisgarh: SP Jitendra Yadav says, "A total of 52 Maoists have surrendered before us. They belonged to various formations such as DVC, ACM and PPCM cadres..." pic.twitter.com/Dc0HUGvMuK
— IANS (@ians_india) January 15, 2026
Bijapur superintendent of police Dr Jitendra Kumar Yadav urged active Maoists to abandon violent and misleading ideologies and return to the mainstream. He said the Poona Margem policy aimed to ensure a safe, dignified and self-reliant future for those who surrendered.
The surrendered cadres carried individual bounties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. Among those with the highest rewards were Lakkhu Karam alias Anil, Lakshmi Madvi alias Ratna and Chinni Sodhi alias Shanti, each carrying a bounty of Rs 8 lakh. Several others, including Bhima Karam, Vishnu Mandavi alias Kiran alias Moti, Moti Korsa and Hungi Karam alias Anjali, carried rewards of Rs 5 lakh each.
The list also included cadres with bounties of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, reflecting their varying ranks and roles within the outlawed organisation. Two surrendered individuals, Mallesh Karam alias Bhima and Sudesh Uika alias Munna, did not carry declared reward amounts.
A day earlier, on January 14, 29 Maoists surrendered in Sukma district. These cadres operated in the Gogunda area of Sukma. One of them, Podiyam Budhra, served as the DAKMS president and carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh, officials said.
From these developments, it is evident that the Maoists are now in their weakest and most deteriorated phase, and that Naxalism is likely to be eradicated from Bharat by 31 March 2026, as stated by the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah. With the elimination of the so-called Maoist movement in Bharat, the Dandakaranya region would be among the most benefited areas, as development projects would be introduced and local communities would receive the associated benefits.
Report by
Shomen Chandra