69 Naxalites Surrender in Bastar Within 24 Hours; Key PLGA Cadres Among Those Who Laid Down Arms

Raipur

In one of the largest mass surrenders in recent months, 69 Naxalites—many of them carrying heavy bounties and holding key PLGA positions—surrendered across Bastar within a span of 24 hours, police said on Wednesday.

41 Cadres Surrender in Bijapur

In Bijapur district, 41 Naxalites, including 12 women, laid down arms before senior police officers.
Among them were prominent cadres such as Pandru Hapka alias Mohan, Bandi Hapka, Lakkhu Korsa, Badru Punem, and Sukhram Hemla—each carrying a reward of ₹8 lakh.

These cadres were linked to PLGA Battalion No.1, area committees, militia platoons, and organisations like Janatana Sarkar (RPC), DKMS, and KAMS.
The surrendered group carried a total bounty of ₹1.19 crore.

SP Dr. Jitendra Kumar Yadav said family pressure and the desire for a peaceful life played a major role in the surrender.
Each cadre received ₹50,000 as rehabilitation incentive under the state’s surrender policy.

28 Cadres Lay Down Arms in Narayanpur

On Tuesday, 28 Naxalites—including 19 women—surrendered in Narayanpur in the presence of IG (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P.
Three of them handed over an SLR, an INSAS rifle, and a .303 rifle.
Their collective bounty amounted to ₹89 lakh.

Officials said they were motivated by the renewed ‘Puna Narkom’ (new dawn/new path) rehabilitation initiative.

The surrendered group includes members of the Mad Division DVCM, PLGA Company No.6, technical squads, supply teams, LOS members, and the Janatana Sarkar.

Growing Trend of Desertion

Narayanpur SP Robinson Guria said 287 Maoists have returned to the mainstream in 2025, while IG Sundarraj noted that over 512 cadres across the Bastar range have abandoned violence in the last 50 days.

“The continuous surrenders show that the violent and anti-people Maoist ideology is losing ground,” the IG said, urging remaining cadres to join the path of peace.