In a significant boost to anti-Naxal operations, two hardcore Maoists surrendered before the Additional Superintendent of Police in Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh on Friday.
The surrendered individuals have been identified as Santosh, alias Lal Pawan (male), and Manju, alias Nandi (female). Both were members of an Area Committee and carried a reward of ₹5 lakh each announced by the government.
According to Dhirendra Kumar, Additional SP (Naxal Cell, Gariaband), the duo had been involved in several incidents of Maoist violence in the Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh and the adjoining Nuapada district in Odisha.
Their surrender is seen as a major setback to the Maoist network operating along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border, where security forces have intensified operations in recent months.
The Chhattisgarh government encourages Maoist cadres to surrender through its rehabilitation policy, offering financial assistance and support for reintegration into mainstream society.
This development comes amid a series of surrenders and encounters that have weakened Maoist influence in the region.
