51 Naxalites surrender in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur

As many as 51 Naxalites, 20 of them carrying a collective bounty of Rs 66 lakh, surrendered in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, police said.
The cadres, including nine women, have returned to the mainstream citing that they were impressed by the state government’s rehabilitation policy and development initiatives, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said.
Their decision to quit the path of violence marks another significant step in the state government’s ongoing mission to eradicate Naxalism through peace, dialogue and development, he said. They surrender as part of ‘Poona Margem – Punarwas se Punarjeevan’ (rehabilitation for social integration), a rehabilitation initiative launched by Bastar Range police for Naxalites.
Among those who surrendered were five members of the PLGA (Peoples’ Liberation Guerrilla Army) battalion number 01 and company numbers 01, 02 and 05, seven members of area committees and platoon, three members of the LOS (local organisation squad) group, one militia platoon commander, 14 militia platoon members and 20 lower-rung members, he said.
Since January 2024, a total of 650 Maoists have joined the mainstream in Bijapur, 196 were neutralised in encounters, while 986 others were arrested, he said.