Chhattisgarh: 63 Naxalites surrender in Dantewada, carrying a reward of over Rs 1 crore

News Topical, Digital Desk : Security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district achieved a historic anti-Naxal victory on Friday. Influenced by the government's "Puna Margem" (rehabilitation through revival) policy, a total of 63 Maoists decided to rejoin mainstream society and surrendered to senior police officers.

According to police officials, 36 of the 63 surrendered Maoists carried a collective bounty of ₹11.95 million. Eighteen women were among those who surrendered. All these Naxalites were active in South Bastar, West Bastar, Abujhmad, and the border areas of Odisha.

Mainly large cadres surrendering

• Paklu alias Rainu (45): Divisional committee member and Kalahandi area committee secretary (Reward: Rs 8 lakh).
• Mohan alias Sanjay (32): West Bastar Division Student Union President (Reward: Rs 8 lakh).
• Sumitra alias Draupadi (30): Bhairamgarh Area Committee Secretary (Reward: Rs 8 lakh).
• Hungi alias Ankita (28): Member of Military Company No. 10 (Reward: Rs 8 lakh).
• Apart from these, there was a reward of Rs 8 lakh each on Sukhram Tati, Pandu Madkam and Somdu Kadti.

Presence of senior officials

The surrender took place in the presence of Central Reserve Police Force ( CRPF) Deputy Inspector General Rakesh Choudhary, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai, and other senior officials. Officials said that among the other surrendered cadres, seven had a bounty of ₹5 lakh each, eight had ₹2 lakh each, 11 had ₹1 lakh each, and three had ₹50,000 each.

Immediate assistance and rehabilitation

Under the government's rehabilitation policy, all 63 surrendered Maoists have been provided immediate assistance of ₹50,000 each. They will also be provided with the benefits of skill development and other government schemes to integrate them into the mainstream.

Goal 2026 : Naxal-free India

This campaign against Naxalism is gaining momentum. It's worth noting that: On January 7th, 26 Naxalites surrendered in Sukma. In 2025, more than 1,500 Naxalites in the state laid down their arms. The central government has set a goal of completely eliminating Naxalism from the country by March 31, 2026. This major success demonstrates that the pressure exerted by security forces and government welfare programs are now having an impact deep within the jungles.

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