Ten Naxalites surrender in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district

Sukma, Ten Naxalites including six women, collectively carrying a reward of Rs 33 lakh on their heads, surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Friday, police said.

With this, a total of 263 Maoists have quit violence in the district this year, said Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan.

The cadres surrendered in the presence of senior police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and district officials here under the police’s ‘Poona Margem (From Rehabilitation to Social Reintegration) initiative, he said.

They also handed over an AK-47 rifle, two Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), a Stengun and a Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL). These weapons carried a total reward of Rs 8 lakh for their seizure, the SP said.

Of the surrendered cadres, Midiam Bhima (30), a company platoon commander of the Maoists, carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh.

Ganga Kunjam (22), Lekam Rama, Tati Soni (32) and Shanti Sodhi (21) carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, while Madvi Navin (20), Madvi Rukni (24), Oyam Mangli (22), Podiyam Mangi (20) and Madvi Gangi (19) carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh each, Chavan said.

The number of surrenders in the recent past shows that the process of trust, peace and development is steadily gaining momentum in the region, the police official said.Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj Pattilingam said in the last 11 months at least 1,514 Maoists have laid down their arms in Bastar region.

The remaining Maoists, including Politburo member Devji, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member Pappa Rao, Deva (Barse Deva) and others have no option but to renounce violence, he added.

Around 2,400 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh in the last two years, as per police data.