Bhubaneswar: Following the decisive and strategic push by the Odisha Police, the anti-Maoist campaign has reached a historic turning point with the surrender of 15 hardcore cadres from the Bolangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund (BBM) division. This group, which includes their top leader Sudarshan, also known as Vikas, has formally renounced violence and expressed a desire to return to the mainstream. The surrender took place in Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh, following a series of high-pressure tactical operations and a compelling rehabilitation appeal led by the top brass of Odisha’s security apparatus.
Shri Sanjeeb Panda, the Additional Director General (ADG) of Anti-Naxal Operations, expressed immense satisfaction with this development, noting that it signals the near-total collapse of the Maoist infrastructure in the Gandhamardan hills. Shri Panda has been the primary architect of the current “final battle” strategy, which aims to meet the national deadline of March 31, 2026, to make the state Naxal-free. He emphasized that the surrender of a high-ranking leader like Sudarshan—who carries a significant bounty and was a key strategist for the Odisha State Committee—is a testament to the fact that the rebel ideology has lost its footing among its own cadres.
The success of these operations is largely attributed to the seamless coordination between the tactical and intelligence wings. IGP Operations, Dr. Deepak Kumar, played a critical role in overseeing the field deployments of the Special Operations Group (SOG) and the District Voluntary Force (DVF). Under his supervision, security forces maintained a relentless presence in the rugged terrain of the Gandhamardan range, effectively choking the logistics and movement of the BBM division. By establishing permanent security camps in previously inaccessible “vacuum areas,” Dr. Kumar’s strategy forced the insurgents to realize that their armed struggle was no longer sustainable.
Parallel to the tactical pressure, the Special Intelligence Wing (SIW), led by DIG Shri Akhilesvar Singh, provided the surgical precision required to dismantle the underground support networks. Shri Singh’s expertise in intelligence gathering allowed the forces to track the movement of Sudarshan’s squad with high accuracy, leading to the neutralization of several associates in recent months and leaving the leadership with no option but to surrender. The SIW’s work was instrumental in creating the psychological pressure that led to the division’s decision to send a letter of surrender to the authorities, seeking safety and rehabilitation.
The BBM division was long considered a major threat due to its ability to operate across the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border, using the dense forests of the Gandhamardan hills as a sanctuary. With this mass surrender, the districts of Bargarh and Bolangir are moving toward being declared officially free of active Maoist divisions.
Team Anti Naxal Operations Odisha continue to monitor the remaining small pockets of activity, particularly in the Kandhamal region, to ensure that the momentum gained from this breakthrough leads to a permanent peace in the state.