In Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh, fifteen Naxalites, including veteran leader Vikas, surrendered on Sunday, bringing an end to the outlawed movement in the Raipur-Sambalpur region bordering Odisha. The surrendered individuals, including nine women, belonged to the Balangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund (BBM) division of the Communist Party of India (Maoists), active along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. They handed over their weapons at the Mahasamund district headquarters in the presence of Chhattisgarh Additional Director General of Police Vivekanand Sinha, Inspector General of Police (Northern Range) Sambalpur (Odisha) Himanshu Lal, and IGP (Rural Zone, Raipur) Amresh Mishra. With this surrender, the western sub-zone of the Odisha State Committee of Maoists has been completely dismantled. ADGP Sinha stated that the Raipur and Sambalpur police ranges are now free of Naxal influence. Police officials reported that appeals to the BBM divisional committee members in Mahasamund's border areas were made through various channels, including Akashvani broadcasts, banners, posters, and pamphlets. The state government's surrender and rehabilitation policy, which offers financial incentives based on rank, additional rewards for surrendering with weapons, healthcare benefits, and housing and employment support, was widely publicized. These cadres decided to give up violence after becoming disillusioned with the Maoist ideology, the hardships of life in the forests, and prolonged separation from their families. They were also influenced by former Maoists who had surrendered earlier and were now leading stable lives under the rehabilitation scheme. Vikas (57), also known as Sudarshan, Jangu, Babanna, Rajanna, and Muppidi Sambaiah (57), is a native of Warangal district in Telangana and has been active in the outlawed movement since 1985. He was part of the Telangana State Zonal Committee, served for 10 years as secretary of the southern sub-zone of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) in Chhattisgarh, and was in charge of the Gadchiroli division (in Maharashtra) for two years. The surrendered individuals handed over 14 weapons, including three AK-47 rifles, two SLR rifles, two INSAS rifles, four .303 rifles, and three 12-bore guns. Police urged remaining Naxalites in Bastar and the eastern sub-zone in Odisha to lay down arms and join the mainstream. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma stated that the rehabilitation of fifteen Naxalites from the BBM division is a significant step under the state government's rehabilitation policy. He added that only 15 members were left in this division, and all of them have now laid down arms.