16 Maoists, Including ₹39 Lakh Rewarded Leaders, Surrender in Jharkhand

Intensifying counter-insurgency operations in Jharkhand yielded a major success on Tuesday with the surrender of 16 Maoists, including senior leaders of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) who carried a combined reward of ₹39 lakh. Officials said the surrender marks a significant setback for the outfit's leadership and operational network in the state, underscoring the growing impact of sustained security operations and rehabilitation initiatives aimed at weakening the insurgency.

The surrendered group included five women cadres and comprised one Regional Committee Member, one Zonal Committee Member, two Sub-Zonal Committee Members and two Area Committee functionaries, highlighting a substantial dent in the Maoist hierarchy. Security officials said the surrender of committee-level leaders is particularly significant as they are responsible for planning attacks, recruitment, logistics, intelligence gathering and extortion activities that sustain the insurgent network.

The biggest breakthrough was the surrender of Santosh Mahto alias Basudev Da alias Dilip, a Regional Committee Member carrying a ₹15 lakh bounty. Wanted in 128 criminal cases across multiple districts, Santosh was among the most wanted Maoist leaders in Jharkhand. According to police, he was involved in several attacks on security forces, including the March 1 improvised explosive device (IED) blast in the forests under the border police station limits of Manoharpur, Chotnagar and Jhariakela, in which a CoBRA battalion jawan was injured.

Also surrendering was Chandan Lohra, a Zonal Committee Member carrying a ₹10 lakh reward, who was wanted in 78 criminal cases. Officials described the surrender of the two senior leaders as one of the biggest recent achievements for the Jharkhand Police, saying it would significantly weaken the operational capabilities of the banned outfit in the state.

The surrendered Maoists also laid down a substantial cache of arms, including six INSAS rifles, two AK-47 assault rifles, 38 magazines and 1,562 live cartridges. Police said the seizure of the weapons would further reduce the group's ability to launch attacks and strengthen ongoing anti-Maoist operations.

The surrender comes amid an intensified counter-insurgency campaign by central and state security forces across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra and Telangana, where sustained operations have been complemented by rehabilitation programmes encouraging insurgents to return to the mainstream. Officials believe the combined strategy has accelerated the erosion of the Maoist leadership and disrupted its recruitment, logistics and extortion networks.

Under Jharkhand's surrender and rehabilitation policy, surrendered Maoists are eligible for financial assistance, vocational training, legal support where applicable and rehabilitation benefits after due verification. Officials said the latest surrender is expected to provide valuable intelligence on the remaining Maoist network while further strengthening efforts to restore peace and development in Left Wing Extremism-affected regions.