12 Naxalites including nine with bounty, surrender in Dantewada

In a major boost to anti-Naxal efforts in the Bastar region, twelve Naxalites including nine carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 28.5 lakh surrendered before authorities in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Wednesday, police officials confirmed.The mass surrender took place under the 'Lon Varratu' (a Gondi term meaning "return to your home/village") campaign, which has been actively pursued since its launch in June 2020. With this latest development, the total number of surrendered Naxalites in Dantewada has reached 1,005, including 249 who were on the wanted list with monetary rewards on their heads, said Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai.
“This achievement reflects the far-sighted policies of the government, the continuous operations by security forces, and the growing trust of local communities,” SP Rai said, terming the development a symbol of the administration’s commitment to bring misguided youth back into the mainstream.
The 12 surrendered cadres, including two women, turned themselves in before senior police officers and representatives of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). They cited growing internal rifts in the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit, the harsh realities of life in dense forests, and their disillusionment with Maoist ideology as reasons for quitting the movement.
Among the high-profile surrenders were Chandranna alias Bursu Punem (52) and Amit alias Hinga Barsa (26), both divisional committee members active in the West Bastar and Gadchiroli divisions, respectively. Each carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakh and had been involved in multiple attacks on security forces.
Other surrenders included Aruna Lekam (25), an area committee member with a ₹5 lakh reward, and Deva Kawasi (22), a section commander with a Rs 3 lakh bounty. One cadre was carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh, a woman cadre Rs 1 lakh, and three others had bounties of Rs 50,000 each.
According to police, the surrendered Maoists hailed from multiple districts, including Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur, and Narayanpur, underscoring the broader impact of the ongoing campaign. The cadres expressed appreciation for the ‘Lon Varratu’ initiative and the state government's revised surrender and rehabilitation policy, which has played a key role in encouraging voluntary exits from the insurgency.The surrender numbers continue to climb across the insurgency-affected Bastar region. In 2024 alone, 792 Naxalites have surrendered in the region, which comprises seven districts including Dantewada, police data shows.