Jagdalpur, 14 December (H.S.): Three high-profile Naxal operatives from Chhattisgarh, carrying a combined bounty of Rs 20 lakh, surrendered before Maharashtra's Gondia police on Sunday, marking a significant blow to the Maoist insurgency in the tri-junction region.

The group included Roshan alias Mara Iriya Vedja (35), commander of the Darrekasa Area Committee under the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone and carrying an Rs 8 lakh reward, along with two ACM cadre members—Subhash alias Pojja Bandu Ravva (26) and Ratan alias Manku Oma Poyyam (25)—each with Rs 6 lakh on their heads.

All hailing from Chhattisgarh's Bastar division—Vedja from Mendri village in Bijapur district, Ravva from Verapalli in Usur tehsil, and Poyyam from Rekhpal in Narayanpur—the militants deposited an arsenal comprising an SLR rifle with two magazines and 25 rounds from Vedja, another SLR with two magazines and 23 rounds from Ravva, and an 8mm pistol with one magazine and 15 rounds from Poyyam.

Gondia Superintendent of Police Nikhil Pingale confirmed the surrender, crediting sustained intelligence and rehabilitation outreach for compelling the cadres to abandon armed struggle.

The capitulation underscores escalating pressure on Naxal networks straddling state borders, with Maharashtra's Gondia district emerging as a key surrender hub amid Chhattisgarh's aggressive anti-Maoist operations.

Officials anticipate the trio's integration into rehabilitation programs, potentially yielding further intelligence on MMC zone activities.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar