Bijapur: Twelve Maoists, with a combined bounty of Rs 46 lakh on their heads, surrendered to the police in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, on February 5, 2026, according to a senior official.
🚨 Bijapur: 12 Maoist cadres SURRENDERED and chose to return to the mainstream of society.
👉 The END of Naxal/Maoist terror is getting CLOSER. pic.twitter.com/XQHoua3q7m
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) February 5, 2026
The cadres, including eight women from the Maoists’ South Sub-Zonal Bureau, surrendered to senior police officials here under Bastar police’s ‘Poona Margem’ (from rehabilitation to social reintegration) initiative, said Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav. The official added that they were also influenced by the State government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.
Among them, Somadu Madkam, a divisional committee member and head of the Katekalyan area committee, along with Hungi Kunjam (19) and Payaki Kunjam (22), both party members of different units, each had a bounty of Rs 8 lakh. Three other cadres carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh each, one had Rs 2 lakh, and five others had Rs 1 lakh each, he added.
The cadres also handed over an AK-47 rifle, two self-loading rifles (SLRs), 250 gelatin sticks, 400 detonators, a plastic drum filled with gunpowder, and a bundle of cordex wire, the official said. He added that each surrendered Maoist will receive immediate assistance of Rs 50,000 and will be further rehabilitated under the government’s policy.
Since January 1, 2024, a total of 888 Maoists in Bijapur have renounced violence and returned to the mainstream, while 1,163 were arrested and 231 were killed in separate encounters, the official said.
Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam, stated that the Maoist organisation is rapidly approaching its end. He noted that the establishment of security camps in remote areas, improved road connectivity, ongoing successful anti-Naxal operations, and the effective implementation of government development schemes have steadily weakened the group’s strongholds.
Urging the remaining Maoist cadres to surrender, the IG said that the path of violence leads only to destruction, suffering, and darkness, whereas the ‘Poona Margem’ initiative offers a route to peace, dignity, and a brighter future.
“Lay down your arms and return to the mainstream. Both the government and society will share the responsibility of ensuring your safety and helping you build a new life,” he added.
With this latest surrender, over 220 Maoists have given up arms in the state so far this year. On January 15, as many as 52 Naxalites surrendered in Bijapur district. Last year, more than 1,500 Maoists in the state laid down their arms. The Centre has committed to eradicating Naxalism from the country by March 31 this year.
