Nagpur: Nine senior Maoist guerrillas crossed Indravati river from Chhattisgarh into Maharashtra and surrendered before Gadchiroli police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Tuesday, delivering a major setback to insurgent activity in the Dandakaranya region — particularly in the once severely affected Gadchiroli district and adjoining border areas.The surrender took place on the final day of the March 31 deadline announced under the national policy by Union home minister Amit Shah. The cadres had moved from Bijapur region in Chhattisgarh through the forests of Indravati National Park, entering Maharashtra in a coordinated operation before laying down their arms.Police attributed the development to sustained anti-Maoist operations along with rehabilitation packages offered by the central and Maharashtra govts.Those surrendered included three area committee-level guerrillas and six other members, all considered hardcore cadres with a combined bounty of Rs30 lakh declared by Maharashtra govt. Among them were two women — Shanti Wadde and Sukki Kunjam — who surrendered with AK-47 rifle and 30 live cartridges. Wadde, carrying a Rs6 lakh reward, served as area committee member in the Indravati local organisational squad of the Maoists.Acting on information provided by the surrendered cadres, joint teams of Gadchiroli police and CRPF recovered an AK-47 rifle, three magazines, 57 live rounds, three walkie-talkies, four batteries, and 20 pen drives from Kummar forest area near Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border under Kawande police station limits.Subsequent operations in coordination with Chhattisgarh Police led to further recoveries from Gundapur area of Indravati National Park, including two 7.62 SLR rifles, a single-shot weapon, and 50 detonators.The surrender follows a similar move by seven Maoist cadres over the previous five days, taking the recent total to 16 linked to this intelligence input.Since 2025, 132 armed Maoists have surrendered before Gadchiroli Police and CRPF, while the total number since the state’s rehabilitation policy was introduced in 2005 has reached 805.Senior officials noted that Maoist activity, once spread across all 10 sub-divisions of Gadchiroli district, is now largely confined to the border pockets of Bhamragarh sub-division.Security agencies described the surrender as significant, as the cadres were part of inter-state Maoist groups operating from Indravati National Park — a long-standing stronghold for the guerrilla activity. A senior official said, “The timing highlights the effectiveness of the govt’s dual approach of sustained security pressure and rehabilitation incentives.”Following verification, the surrendered cadres will receive rehabilitation support, including financial assistance, skill training, and security cover. Seven members will receive Rs4.5 lakh each, while the two women will get Rs5.5 lakh and Rs5.25 lakh, respectively, along with a collective group reward of Rs4 lakh.Police sources added that with 166 hardcore Maoists surrendering since 2022, the insurgency in Gadchiroli is now nearing its end.
