In a significant development, three naxalites, including two women, surrendered before the authorities in the Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh on Monday, marking a notable victory for the state's anti-Naxal operations. The trio, who carried a combined bounty of Rs 15 lakh on their heads, turned themselves in due to the state government's rehabilitation policy.
The surrendered naxalites have been identified as Dileep alias Santu, Manjula alias Lakhmi, and Sunita alias Junki, each carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh. Dileep, who was active as the deputy commander of the Sonabeda-Dharambandha-Kholibatar (SDK) area committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), surrendered with an automatic weapon. Manjula and Sunita were involved with the naxalites’ area committees in the region, with Manjula being a member of the SDK committee and Sunita associated with the Bargarh area committee.
According to officials, the surrendered cadres expressed their disillusionment with the Maoist ideology, describing it as inhumane and hollow. They also praised the state government’s efforts to eliminate naxalism and commended the police’s rehabilitation initiative, which encourages naxalites to reintegrate into society peacefully.
The surrender took place in the presence of senior police officials, including IG Amresh Mishra and ADG Gariaband. These officials had travelled from Raipur to oversee the process. The three former naxals were reportedly involved in several attacks and encounters, including one in Kulhadi Ghat, where 16 Naxals were killed in a clash with security forces.
As part of the state’s rehabilitation policy, each surrendered naxalite was given an immediate cash reward of Rs 25,000, along with other benefits. This follows a similar surrender by 11 naxalites, including seven women, in Narayanpur district just days before.
The recent surrenders highlight the growing effectiveness of Chhattisgarh’s rehabilitation program, which aims to dismantle naxal networks and encourage militants to leave the armed insurgency behind.
