Kanker (Chhattisgarh): In a major success for Chhattisgarh police, twenty-one Maoist cadres, including senior leaders, surrendered before authorities in Kanker district on Sunday under the state’s rehabilitation initiative, Poona Margem: Rehabilitation through Reintegration.
According to police officials, the group also handed over 18 weapons, including three AK-47s, two INSAS rifles, four SLR rifles, six .303 rifles, two single-shot rifles, and one Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL). The surrendered ultras belonged to the Kuemari/Kiskodo Area Committee of the Keshkal Division (North Sub-Zonal Bureau) of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
Among those who surrendered was Division Committee Secretary Mukesh, a significant figure in the local Maoist hierarchy. The group included four divisional committee members, nine area committee members, and eight cadres from lower ranks. Notably, thirteen of the surrendering Maoists were women.
Officials said the surrender marks another milestone in the ongoing campaign to weaken Maoist influence in Bastar and neighboring regions. The initiative aims to reintegrate former rebels into mainstream society by offering them support and rehabilitation opportunities.
Earlier this month, on October 17, 210 Maoists, including Central Committee Member Rupesh alias Satish — who carried a collective bounty of ₹9.18 crore — surrendered in Jagdalpur, Bastar district, handing over 153 weapons. Similarly, on October 2, 103 Maoists, including 49 with bounties totaling ₹1.06 crore, surrendered in Bijapur district.
Authorities said the sustained success of the surrender program indicates growing disillusionment among Maoist ranks and the effectiveness of community engagement and security measures in the Bastar region.
