Last Updated:March 12, 2026, 12:45 IST

Along with weapons, Rs 3.61 crore in cash, and 1 kg of gold valued at approximately Rs 1.64 crore were recovered from Maoist hideouts.

In a major development, 108 Maoists, who collectively carried a reward of Rs 3.95 crore, surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district on Wednesday, according to officials.

A substantial cache of weapons, Rs 3.61 crore in cash, and 1 kg of gold valued at approximately Rs 1.64 crore were recovered from Maoist hideouts. This marks the largest seizure of cash and valuables from a single location in the history of India’s anti-Naxal operations, Inspector General of Police for the Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam, informed PTI.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a target to eradicate Naxalism from the country by March 31, 2026.

Among those who surrendered, six were divisional committee members with bounties of Rs 8 lakh each, officials confirmed.

The cadres, associated with the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of Maoists, surrendered at Jagdalpur, the Bastar district headquarters, Pattilingam said.

The DKSZC, a formation of the banned CPI (Maoists), has been responsible for numerous deadly attacks in south Bastar in the past.

Information provided by the surrendered cadres led to significant successes for security forces, including the recovery of weapons, cash, and other materials from Maoist hideouts, the official stated.

A total of 101 weapons were seized, including AK-47s, INSAS and SLR rifles, light machine guns, .303 rifles, and barrel grenade launchers, delivering a substantial blow to the already weakened military capabilities of the Maoist organisation, Pattilingam added.

Among those who laid down their arms were key cadres, including divisional committee members Rahul Telam, Pandru Kovasi, and Jhitru Oyam from the West Bastar division, Ramdhar alias Biru from the East Bastar division, and Mallesh from the North Bastar division.

Additionally, Muchaki, commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion, and Kosa Mandavi, a divisional committee member from the Andhra-Odisha Border area of Maoists, were among those who surrendered, the official noted.

The mass surrender suggests that Maoist ideology is losing its grip, with even members within the organisation questioning its relevance, Pattilingam said.

Many cadres have been influenced by the “Poona Margem – Rehabilitation to Rejuvenation" initiative, prompting them to abandon violence and rejoin mainstream society.

Efforts are underway, under the rehabilitation policies of both the Centre and the Chhattisgarh government, to ensure security and a dignified life for the surrendered cadres, the official added.

Of the 108 surrendered cadres, six were divisional committee members, three company platoon committee commanders, 18 platoon party committee members, 23 area committee members, and 56 party members, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma told reporters in Raipur.

District-wise, 37 Maoists were from Bijapur, 30 from Dantewada, 18 from Sukma, 16 from Bastar, four from Narayanpur, and three from Kanker.

The government aims to eliminate Naxalism by March 31, 2026, Sharma, who oversees the state’s Home department, reiterated.

Maoists are increasingly abandoning violence due to sustained security operations and the government’s rehabilitation policy, which offers them the chance to lead peaceful lives, Sharma said.

According to police, 2,714 Maoist cadres have returned to the mainstream in the state over the past 26 months after renouncing violence.

In the Bastar division alone, 2,625 Maoists surrendered between January 1, 2024, and March 9, 2026.

News india 108 Naxalites With Rs 3.95 Cr Bounty Surrender In Chhattisgarh; Rs 3.6 Cr Cash, 1 Kg Gold Seized

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