16 maoists lay down arms, 6 had ₹25 l reward on their heads

Sixteen Maoists, including six carrying a collective cash reward of Rs 25 lakh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday, police said.

Nine of them belonged to the Kerlapenda village panchayat under Chintalanar police station limits. With the surrender, the village has become Maoist-free, making it eligible for development projects of Rs 1 crore as per a new scheme of the state government, an official said.

All 16 cadres, including a woman, turned themselves in before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force officials, citing disappointment with the "hollow" and "inhuman" Maoist ideology and atrocities by ultras on local tribals, said Sukma's superintendent of police Kiran Chavan.


The cadres were also impressed by the Chhattisgarh government's 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme, aimed at facilitating development works in remote villages, and the state's new surrender and rehabilitation policy, he said.

Among those who surrendered, Rita alias Dodi Sukki (36), a woman who was active as member of the central regional committee company number 2 of Maoists, and Rahul Punem (18), a party member within PLGA battalion no. 1 of Maoists, carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh each, Chavan said. Besides, Lekam Lakhma (28) carried a bounty of Rs 3 lakh, while three other more cadres carried a reward of Rs 2 lakh each, he said.

With Kerlapenda village becoming Maoist-free, it will be provided an incentive of Rs 1 crore for development works under the Elvad Panchayat Yojna of the state government, he said.

The scheme has been introduced under the new Chhattisgarh Naxal Surrender/Victim Relief and Rehabilitation Policy-2025. It provides for a sanction of development works of Rs 1 crore for those village panchayats which facilitate the surrender of Maoists active in their area and to pass a resolution declaring them as Maoist-free.