Sambalpur: In a high-stakes development for internal security, 15 Maoist cadres belonging to the Bolangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund (BBM) division have initiated a formal process to surrender.
This follows a four-page letter sent by the group to Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma, requesting a safe corridor and public protection.
Shri Himanshu Kumar Lal is a distinguished Odisha-cadre IPS officer who is serving as IGP Northern Range (Sambalpur) and is renowned for his anti-Naxal operations is happy over surrender of Maoists.
Shri Lal is religiously working hard to achieve the ending of Maoist Menace by 31 March, 2026 as desired by Union Minister Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah.
The letter, authored by a leader identified as Vikas—the western sub-zonal bureau secretary of the Odisha State Bureau of the CPI (Maoist)—detailed the group’s intent to renounce the armed struggle. The cadres specifically requested a public assurance of safety via a radio broadcast, fearing potential neutralisation if they emerged without a formal guarantee.
Responding to this, Home Minister Shri Vijay Sharma authorized a special audio message broadcast over local radio frequencies. In his message, the Minister assured the 15 cadres of full security, medical care, and a “red carpet” welcome into the mainstream. The group reportedly consists of 14 members from Chhattisgarh and one from Telangana, who are expected to surface near the Mahasamund border between March 2 and 3, 2026.
The timing of this surrender is critical, as it aligns with the Union Government’s objective to make India Naxal-free by March 31, 2026. Recent data indicates that since early 2024, over 532 Maoists have been neutralised and approximately 2,704 have surrendered in Chhattisgarh alone, driven by the state’s aggressive rehabilitation policies.+1