170 Maoists, including commander, surrender In Chhattisgarh; 258 in two days

In what was one of the largest Maoist surrenders in recent years, as many as 170 Maoists surrendered in Chhattisgarh today. Among them was Rupesh, the North-Western Sub-Zonal In-Charge and intelligence chief of the Maoist military wing.
“A landmark day in our battle against Naxalism. Today, 170 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh. Yesterday 27 had laid down their arms in the state. In Maharashtra, 61 returned to the mainstream, yesterday. In total, 258 battle-hardened left-wing extremists have abjured violence in the last two days,” the Home Minister posted on X. According to intelligence sources, Rupesh and his associates moved towards Bhairamgarh after crossing the Indravati River through the treacherous Uspari Ghat. Once they reached Bijapur, an official surrender was announced in Jagdalpur.
“Our policy is clear: those who want to surrender are welcome, and those who continue to wield the gun will meet the wrath of our forces. I appeal again to those who are still on the path of Naxalism to lay down their weapons and join the mainstream. We are committed to uprooting Naxalism before 31st March 2026,” the Home Minister added.