Raipur: In a significant breakthrough for Chhattisgarh's anti-Naxal operations, four hardcore Maoists, including a couple, surrendered before the Superintendent of Police in Kondagaon district.  

Speaking to IANS, Y Akshay Kumar, the Superintendent of Police, Kondagaon, said, "The surrendered cadres carried a combined bounty of Rs 22 lakh and were active across multiple insurgency-hit districts, including Bastar, Kanker, Dantewada, and Manpur Mohla."

Among those who laid down arms on Tuesday were 30-year-old Laxman Korram alias Junnu, with an Rs 8 lakh reward on his head. His wife, 25-year-old Maddo alias Zarina, hailing from Dhankapara in Bastar, carried a Rs 5 lakh bounty, the officer said.

The other two were 40-year-old Pandu Ram from Rae village in Kanker (Rs 1 lakh reward) and 30-year-old Sakharam from Chhote Odagaon in Kondagaon (Rs 8 lakh reward).

All four were wanted in serious crimes, including attacks on security forces, civilian killings, arson, looting, and obstruction of public infrastructure. Their surrender was reportedly influenced by the Chhattisgarh government's recently enhanced 'Naxalite Surrender, Victim Relief, and Rehabilitation Policy 2025', which offers financial incentives, skill training, and social reintegration support.

Each surrendered cadre received Rs 50,000 as an immediate incentive under the policy, which aims to encourage insurgents to abandon violence and rejoin the mainstream of civil society.

Officials emphasised that the couple's decision was driven by a desire for a peaceful family life and the appeal of the government’s rehabilitation framework.

The surrender marks a continuing trend in the region, where dozens of Naxalites have turned themselves in over recent months.

The policy, formally launched earlier this year, guarantees rehabilitation within 120 days and includes provisions for education, employment, and security for surrendered individuals.

Security forces and state officials hailed the development as a step toward restoring peace and stability in the region.

The Kondagaon surrender adds momentum to the state's broader strategy of combining tactical operations with socio-economic reintegration to dismantle the Maoists' network. (IANS)