Bhubaneswar: In a significant development in the fight against Red Terrorism, 11 hardcore Maoists surrendered before senior officials of the Odisha Police at a special programme held at the Reserve Police Lines in Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi district, on March 15.
The Maoist cadres laid down their arms before Odisha Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania in the presence of several senior police and paramilitary officers. Among those present were Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sanjeeb Panda, Inspector General of CRPF Amitendra Nath Sinha, IG Operations Deepak Kumar, DIG SIW Akhileshvar Singh, DIG Koraput Vishal Singh, Kalahandi Superintendent of Police Nagaraj Devarakonda, Rayagada SP Swathy S Kumar, and Kandhamal SP Harisha B.C.
The surrendered group included one Divisional Committee Member, five Area Committee Members and five party members associated with the banned Maoist outfit. Among them was Nakul, a Divisional Committee Member of the Odisha State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), who had a reward of Rs 22 lakh on his head. Altogether, the surrendered cadres carried a cumulative bounty of Rs 63.25 lakh.
Police officials stated that the group had been operating under the Bansadhara–Ghumsur–Nagavali (BGN) Division across the districts of Kalahandi, Rayagada and Kandhamal. Nakul is reportedly a native of Maharashtra, while the remaining ten cadres hail from neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
Addressing the gathering, DGP Khurania said the surrender reflects the steadily declining influence of Maoist ideology in the region. He attributed the development to sustained and coordinated anti-Naxal operations carried out by security forces, including the Special Operations Group (SOG), District Voluntary Force (DVF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF).
He further assured that all surrendered cadres would receive benefits under the state government’s Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy. These benefits include financial assistance, vocational training, and support for reintegration into society, enabling them to rebuild their lives with dignity.
According to police officials, the Maoists decided to surrender after being demoralised by continuous security operations in the region. The killing of senior Maoist leader Ganesh Uike, a Central Committee member, during an encounter in Kandhamal in December 2025, also significantly weakened the morale of the cadres.
During the surrender, the Maoists handed over a total of 11 firearms to the police. The weapons included one AK-47 rifle, one INSAS rifle, four SLR rifles, four single-shot rifles and a 12-bore gun. In addition, a large quantity of ammunition and other materials was also seized. The surrendered cadres will receive compensation for their weapons in accordance with the rehabilitation policy.
Officials said the group will receive a combined rehabilitation package of around Rs 1.23 crore, which includes incentives under the surrender scheme and additional compensation for the surrendered arms.
Police also revealed that the number of armed Maoist cadres currently operating in Odisha has dropped significantly and is now estimated to be around 15. Their activities are largely confined to the border areas of Kandhamal district.
Authorities further noted that several districts, including Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Koraput, Boudh and Bolangir, have already been declared completely free from Maoist presence.
Reiterating the state’s commitment, Odisha Police said it is working towards the goal of eliminating Maoist activities from the state by March 31, 2026, in line with the national target announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah
