Raipur, March 31 Seven Naxalites, including four women, surrendered to security forces in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, hours before the deadline set by the Centre to eliminate Left Wing Extremism (LWE) from the country, officials said.
Five Naxalites belonging to the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of Maoists turned themselves in before senior police and CRPF officials at the Dantewada Police Lines, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattlingam said.
The cadres, who carried a total bounty of Rs 9 lakh, gave up their arms under the police's "Poona Margem (from rehabilitation to social reintegration) rehabilitation initiative, he said.
Of the surrendered ultras, Bhairamgarh Area Committee member Some Kadti (42) carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh, and Lakhma Oyam (19), Sarita Podyam (21), Jogi Kalmu (20), and Moti Oyam (19), all carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh each, the official aid.
Based on information provided by the surrendered cadres, the police recovered 40 weapons from Maoist camps in the area, including eight SLR rifles, three INSAS rifles, one carbine, one .303 rifle, and five BGL launchers, dealing a major blow to the armed capabilities of the now-weakened organisation, he said.
In Kanker district, two cadres, Shankar, a platoon party committee member, and Hidma Dodi, a platoon member, surrendered and handed over an AK-47 to the police, the official said.
The IG said efforts are underway to contact other active Maoist cadres in the region and encourage them to join the mainstream.
With just a few hours left for the surrender and rehabilitation window, Naxalites must use the opportunity wisely to leave their violent past behind and embrace a peaceful and respectful life, he appealed.