37 Naxalites, including 12 women, surrendered before police in Dantewada district on Sunday. Among them, 27 carried bounties on their heads amounting to Rs 65 lakh in total.
Dantewada SP Gaurav Rai confirmed the development and stated that the surrendered cadres were involved in the 2024 Tultuli encounter. Their leader, Kamlesh, had earlier surrendered in Andhra Pradesh. “We will gather more information from them and provide updates accordingly,” Rai said.
The surrender took place under the Lon Varratu and Poona Margem rehabilitation programmes, which encourage Maoist cadres to abandon violence and return to the mainstream. Consequently, this marks one of the biggest surrenders in Dantewada in recent years, strengthening ongoing anti-Naxal operations and community outreach initiatives.
Police teams, assisted by rehabilitation officials, will now process the surrendered cadres and integrate them into government-supported schemes. Moreover, authorities highlighted that the move reflects growing confidence in rehabilitation policies and the willingness of Naxalites to embrace peace.
Recovered testimonies suggest that many cadres had grown disillusioned with the Maoist movement and sought a safer future for their families. Furthermore, officials believe the surrender will weaken Maoist influence in the region and boost security for local communities.
This development underscores the success of Chhattisgarh’s dual strategy of firm security operations combined with rehabilitation programmes, offering hope for long-term peace in Dantewada.
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