In a significant blow to the outlawed CPI (Maoist), twenty-four ultras, among them 20 carrying cumulative cash bounties of Rs 87.50 lakh, surrendered before security forces in Bijapur on Thursday. The surrender includes high-ranking members such as a Deputy Commander of PLGA Company No. 02, divisional committee leaders from the Maad and KKBN divisions, CNM and KAMS heads, and multiple active militia commanders. According to officials, these cadres had long operational histories, many active since the late 1990s. The surrendered Maoists cited growing internal disillusionment, ideological fatigue, and severe factional rifts within the organisation as key factors behind their decision.

 

A desire to rejoin society and live safely with families also influenced their move. The surrender took place in the presence of CRPF DIG Bijapur Rakesh Kumar, SP Dr Jitendra Kumar Yadav, and commanders of CoBRA battalions 201, 205, and 210, alongside senior police and administrative officers. Officials confirmed that each surrendered Maoist was handed a Rs 50,000 cheque as incentive under Chhattisgarh Government’s revised rehabilitation scheme. The success of this coordinated surrender operation was attributed to relentless field efforts by DRG, STF, Bastar Fighters, CRPF, and CoBRA forces.

 

Officials credited the combined impact of deep outreach, strategic camp expansion, and increasing civilian connectivity through roads, water, and electricity under schemes like Niyad Nellanar. SP Bijapur Dr Jitendra Kumar Yadav appealed to remaining Maoists to “reject the path of violence and return to the mainstream,” adding that “the new surrender policy has created real hope for a dignified and peaceful life.” The latest figures reveal that since January 1, 2025, Bijapur district alone has seen 237 arrests, 227 surrenders, and 119 Maoists neutralised—signalling a sustained decline in Maoist operational strength.