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9 Maoists with ₹47 Lakh Bounty Surrender; Odisha Declares District Naxal-Free

Nine Maoists carrying a total bounty of ₹47 lakh have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, handing over a significant cache of weapons. Following this surrender, the Odisha Police declared the Nawarangpur district free from Naxal activity. The surrendered individuals included key leaders from various Maoist area committees active in the border region. This development comes shortly after security forces recovered the bodies of two Maoists, including a divisional committee member, in a separate operation in Bijapur.

Key Points: Maoists Surrender in Chhattisgarh, Odisha District Declared Naxal-Free

  • Nine Maoists surrender with ₹47 lakh bounty
  • Nawarangpur district declared Naxal-free
  • Cache of weapons recovered
  • Surrender includes key committee leaders
  • Follows recent encounter where Maoist commander was killed
2 min read

Nine Maoists with ₹47 lakh bounty surrender in Chhattisgarh; Odisha Police term Nawarangpur Naxal-free

Nine Maoists with a combined ₹47 lakh bounty surrender in Chhattisgarh, leading Odisha to declare Nawarangpur district free from Naxal activity.

"The surrender marks a significant achievement in ongoing efforts to curb Maoist activities in the region. - Police Officials"

Raipur, January 23

Nine Maoists carrying a total bounty of ₹47 lakh surrendered in Chhattisgarh along with a cache of weapons and equipment, Odisha Police said on Friday.

Following the surrender, the Nawarangpur district of Odisha has been declared free from Naxal activity.

According to police, the surrendered Maoists included key leaders from the Nagri Area Committee, Sitanadi Area Committee and Mainpur LGS of the Odisha State Committee under the Dhamtari-Gariaband-Nuapada division.

They were active in the Nawarangpur district of Odisha and the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh under the Odisha State Committee of CPI (Maoist).

The surrendered cadres handed over two INSAS rifles, two SLR rifles, one carbine, one bharmar gun, magazines, ammunition and a radio set, police added.

Highlighting past incidents, Odisha Police recalled that Maoists were involved in several violent attacks, including the assassination of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Jagabandhu Majhi, who was shot dead in September 2011 during a public meeting near Raighar. Maoists had also killed several people, accusing them of being police informers.

Police officials said the surrender marks a significant achievement in ongoing efforts to curb Maoist activities in the region.

Earlier, security forces in Chhattisgarh recovered the bodies of two Maoist cadres along with automatic weapons from the encounter site in the northwestern region of the state from Bijapur, officials confirmed on Saturday (January 17).

Bijapur Superintendent of Police (SP) Jitendra Yadav said that a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG), CoBRA and the Special Task Force (STF) carried out a search operation in the northwestern region after receiving intelligence inputs regarding the presence of the Maoist National Park Area Committee's Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) Dilip Bedja and other armed Maoists in forest and hilly areas.

According to an official statement, preliminary identification suggests that one of the deceased Maoists is Dilip Bedja, a DVCM cadre of the National Park Area Committee.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Declaring a district Naxal-free is a huge achievement for Odisha Police. My cousin is posted in that region and the stories he tells... it's been a long struggle. Salute to our forces.
R
Rohit P
₹47 lakh bounty on just 9 people! That's taxpayer money. While the surrender is good, we must also focus on development in these areas so youth don't get misguided in the first place.
M
Michael C
The cache of weapons surrendered is significant. INSAS and SLRs are serious firepower. This will definitely weaken their operational capacity in that division. Good intelligence work.
S
Shreya B
Remembering MLA Jagabandhu Majhi. His assassination was so tragic. It's a relief that the same area is now seeing peace. Hope this brings some solace to the families who lost loved ones.
N
Nikhil C
A respectful criticism: The article mentions an encounter where two were killed just days before. The surrender is positive, but we must ensure the 'carrot and stick' approach doesn't overshadow human rights. The focus should remain on lasting peace.
K
Kavya N
This is a win for the local communities most of all. They have lived in fear for too long. Now, the government must quickly fill the vacuum with schools, hospitals, and jobs. J

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