Chhattisgarh: 51 Top Naxalites Surrender In Bastar, Large Cache Of Weapons Recovered

Raipur: Security forces have achieved a major success during an anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh's Bastar division. On Saturday, a total of 51 Naxalites surrendered in two districts of Bastar. A combined reward of Rs 1.61 crore had been announced for their capture. A significant number of women were among those who surrendered.

What did the police say? 

Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj Pattilingam said the surrender came at a time when President Droupadi Murmu was inaugurating the Bastar Pandum 2026 festival in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also on a three-day visit to Raipur.

How many Naxalites surrendered? 

In Bijapur district, 30 Naxalites, including 20 women, decided to lay down their arms and return to the mainstream. In Sukma district, 21 other Naxalites, including 14 women, surrendered under the Bastar Police's Poonam Margem rehabilitation initiative. The Naxalites stated that they were influenced by the state government's surrender and rehabilitation policy.

They have expressed a desire to return to the mainstream and live a normal life. Meanwhile, a major operation against Naxalites has also been reported from the Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh. Police recovered weapons, ammunition, explosives, and weapon-making equipment hidden by Naxalites in six different locations in the hilly areas. 

How did the encounter take place? 

According to the police, information was received about Naxalite hideouts in the Bhaludiggi and Metal hill ranges of the Mainpur police station area, bordering Odisha. Following this, the special E-30 unit of the district police force conducted a 36-hour search operation, which concluded on Saturday. This operation was launched based on information received from surrendered Maoists.

They had revealed that the top leadership of the banned CPI (Maoist) Odisha State Committee had hidden automatic weapons and equipment in the hills on the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. During the search operation, police recovered two INSAS rifles, one .303 rifle, one country-made pistol, one Surka, two 12-bore guns, two single-shot weapons, 127 live cartridges, eight magazines, 22 BGL shells, a bundle of electrical wires, and several tools used in weapon manufacturing.

This weapons workshop was being run under the supervision of three central committee members of the CPI (Maoist), who were killed in separate encounters last year. Here, the Maoist technical team manufactured IEDs and country-made weapons, and also repaired automatic weapons. This operation is part of Operation Virat, an anti-Naxalite operation being conducted by the police for the past year and a half.

Police claim that with the recovery of this arms cache, the possibility of a resurgence of Maoist violence in the area has been almost eliminated. Since January 2025, 28 graded automatic weapons, 29 other weapons, 240 electric detonators, 17 non-electric detonators, seven IEDs, and approximately 100 meters of cordex wire have been seized in the district.

What did the chief minister say? 

Tourism Minister Dr. Arvind Sharma said, "Orders have been given to investigate the entire matter."

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also stated that all the injured are being provided with the best possible treatment.