New Delhi: Sukma (Chhattisgarh): Twenty-six Naxalites, including seven women and 13 individuals carrying a total bounty of Rs 65 lakh, surrendered to authorities in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Wednesday, officials said. The surrender was part of the state government’s “Poona Margem” rehabilitation programme, which facilitates the transition of cadres from insurgency to social reintegration.
The surrendered members were active in various units of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), including the South Bastar, Maad, and Andhra-Odisha Border divisions. They had reportedly been involved in multiple violent incidents in Sukma, Abujhmad, and adjoining Odisha districts. The cadres expressed their confidence in the state’s surrender and rehabilitation policy as a factor influencing their decision.
Among those who surrendered, Lali alias Muchaki Aayte Lakhmu, 35, a company party committee member, carried a bounty of Rs 10 lakh. She was implicated in several major incidents, including a 2017 IED blast on Koraput road (Odisha) that killed 14 security personnel. Four other key cadres—Hemla Lakhma (41), Aasmita alias Kamlu Sanni (20), Rambati alias Padam Jogi (21), and Sundam Pale (20)—each carried bounties of Rs 8 lakh. Hemla Lakhma was involved in the 2020 Minpa ambush in Sukma, which claimed the lives of 17 security personnel.
Other surrendered members carried bounties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. As per government policy, each cadre received an initial assistance of Rs 50,000, with further rehabilitation and support planned to help them reintegrate into society.
Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan appealed to all those associated with the outlawed Maoist organisation to renounce violence, assuring them of safety and the opportunity for a dignified life under the rehabilitation programme. The surrender marks a significant step in the state’s ongoing efforts to reduce insurgency through dialogue and rehabilitation.
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