A series of major surrenders by Maoist leaders and cadres in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh came to light on Sunday and Monday as senior figures and long active groups laid down arms before police and government officials.
10 Maoists carrying a total reward of 2 crore 36 lakh rupees surrendered in Balaghat on Sunday before Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav. The group included hardcore Maoist Surendra also known as Kabir who carried a reward of 62 lakh rupees. 4 women and 6 men formed the group, which held reward notices in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. The Chief Minister said the government will begin rehabilitation for the cadres and will help them join the mainstream. He said security forces in the Balaghat zone killed 10 hardcore Maoists this year and he cited the state surrender policy along with continuous operations as key reasons behind the latest development.
The group in Balaghat handed 2 AK-47s, 2 INSAS rifles, 1 SLR, 2 SSR, 7 BGL cells and 4 walkie talkies to police. Forest worker Gulab Uike and local villagers played an important role in the surrender process. Uike said the Maoists reached out to him first and asked for support. He helped bring them to Balaghat by vehicle. Villagers also guided the process as the cadres lost support in the area. Police sources said a timeline for Maoist elimination by March 2026 and strong pressure from security forces inside the forests pushed the group to surrender. The incident came after a late night encounter near Mahirkhudra in the Lanji region close to the Chhattisgarh border.
In another key event on Monday, top CPI Maoist leader and CCM member Ramdher Majji surrendered with 11 cadres in Khairagarh in the north-Bastar division. The group reached Kumhi village under Bakar Katta police station and handed over weapons that included AK-47 rifles, INSAS rifles, SLR, 303 rifles and .30 carbines. The cadres included DVCM rank members Chandu Usendi, Lalita, Janki and Prem along with ACM rank members Ramsingh Dada and Sukesh Pottam. Party members Laxmi, Sheila, Yogita, Kavita and Sagar also joined the surrender. The group formed part of the MMC special zonal committee that operated across 6 districts in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Police teams started questioning the 12 surrendered cadres after taking them into custody.
Another major surrender came from Andhra Pradesh where notorious Maoist couple Jayalal and Madvi Gangi from the Darbha division of Chhattisgarh surrendered before Sukma police and Alluri Sitarama Raju police. Jayalal carried a reward of 25 lakh rupees and held the role of Darbha division in charge and Special Zonal Committee Member. Gangi carried a reward of 8 lakh rupees and held the role of area committee in charge and DVCM under the name Vimala Malanger.
Both cadres said they lost faith in the Maoist ideology and cited the loss of senior Maoist leaders in encounters. They also pointed to distrust inside the organisation, lack of basic resources and fear about their future. ASP Rohit Shah in Sukma said the Chhattisgarh rehabilitation policy along with job options, training and financial support encouraged the couple to surrender. He said the administration has begun the process of providing post surrender benefits.
Jayalal worked inside the banned organisation for 40 years and rose from the Bal Sangathan to senior committees. Gangi worked for 20 years inside the Maoist structure and took part in incidents that included the 2021 Tekalguda encounter and the 2024 Tekalguda camp attack.
Officials in the 3 states said the latest surrenders mark another shift as armed cadres move away from violence and approach police under government policies, security pressure and local outreach efforts.
