22 Naxalites surrender in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district

As many as 22 Naxalites, who were active in the Abhujmad area and carrying collective rewards of Rs 37.5 lakh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Friday, a senior police official said.

The cadres, belonging to Kutul, Nelnar and Indravati area committees under the Maad division of Maoists, turned themselves in before senior police, Border Security Force (BSF) and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officials here.

The surrendered Naxalites told the police that they were disappointed with the “hollow” Maoist ideology and growing internal differences within the banned outfit, Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Robinson Guria said.

They were also influenced by the development work being carried out in the Maad area in the district, including rapid construction of roads, and wanted to lead a normal life, he said.

Of the Naxalites who gave up arms, Manku Kunjam (33), a divisional committee member, carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh, while three area committee members, identified as Hidme Kunjam (28), Punna Lal alias Boti (26) and Saniram Korram (25), carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, the official said.

Eleven cadres had a bounty of Rs 1 lakh each, while seven others had Rs 50,000 each, he said.

Naranpur police, its District Reserve Guard, ITBP and BSF have played a key role in their surrender. The development has caused a huge blow to the top Maoist cadres. The dream of Naxal-free Maad is taking shape, Guria said.

All the surrendered Naxalites were provided assistance of Rs 50,000 each and would be rehabilitated as per the government’s policy, he said.

With this surrender, 132 Naxalites have quit violence in the district so far this year.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the success and said that Naxalites now want to shun guns and walk together on the path of development. The ‘double engine’ government (BJP rule at the Centre and in the state) is committed to rooting out Naxalism by March 31, 2026, he said.

“22 Naxalites carrying a bounty of Rs 37.5 lakh have surrendered in Narayanpur district. Rewards ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 8 lakh had been declared on them. So far, 1,476 Maoists have surrendered to our government (formed in December 2023),” Sai said in a statement.

The laying down of arms by so many Naxalites points to the success of the government's new surrender and rehabilitation policy and public welfare schemes, he said.

“Schemes like 'Niyad Nellnar' (your good village) have instilled confidence, and people have been quitting violence and returning to the mainstream of development. We are fully determined for the rehabilitation of these surrendered Naxalites,” the CM added.