34 Maoists with Rs 84 lakh bounty lay down arms in Bijapur

Raipur: In a major setback to the CPI (Maoist) in south Bastar, 34 armed cadres, including seven women with a total reward of ₹84 lakh have surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Tuesday. One of the most prominent among them is Pandru Punem alias Sanju, a 45-year-old DVCM from Kerlapal Area Committee, carrying a ₹8 lakh reward. Other high-ranking cadres are from PLGA companies and area committees of Kerlapal, Kistaram, Kutul, Bhairamgarh, Madded and Telangana's Mangi area. Police said the surrendered cadres include members of the Dandakaranya South Sub Zonal Bureau (DKSZC), Telangana State Committee and Andhra–Odisha Border (AOB) division, as well as key functionaries of area committees, PLGA companies, militia platoons and 'Jantana Sarkar' structures. Since January 1, 2024, Bijapur district has witnessed 824 Maoists joining the mainstream, 1,079 getting arrested, and 220 Maoists dying in various encounters. Police said several of them were active in some of the most violence-hit pockets of Bijapur, Sukma and the wider south Bastar region, and were linked to past incidents of ambushes, IED attacks and coercive "people's courts". Police said some of the women cadres had held posts such as ACM (Area Committee Member) in the Telangana State Committee and key positions in KAMS and women's fronts at the RPC level. Poona Margeim, Niyad Nella Nar and the ‘new script' in south Bastar. "Under the rehabilitation process, each surrendered cadre will receive ₹50,000 as immediate financial assistance, along with further benefits as per their rank, involvement and existing govt norms," Bijapur SP Jitendra Yadav said. Police said the cadres cited sustained pressure of operations, growing isolation in villages, and the appeal of a "secure and dignified life" as key reasons for quitting the Maoist organisation. Their cases will now proceed through a defined legal and rehabilitation process, including scrutiny of pending offences, counselling, skill development and assistance for livelihood.