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In one of the most significant setbacks to the Naxal movement in recent months, Special Zonal Committee member Anant alias Vikas Nagpure and 11 hardcore Naxalites surrendered before the Gondia Police, marking a significant breakthrough for security forces operating in the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border region.
According to officials, the surrendered cadre collectively carried a reward of Rs 89 lakh. Police said the group had been active across multiple districts and was involved in several major acts of violence, recruitment drives, and extortion networks. A substantial cache of weapons and materials used in Naxal operations was also seized during the surrender. Those who laid down arms include DVCM Commander Nagasu Golu Wadde, along with Rano Poreti, Santu Poreti, Sangeeta Pandhare, Pratap Bantula, Anuja Kara, Puja Mudiyam, Dinesh Sotti, Sheela Madavi, and Arjun Dodi. Agencies said this is the first major collective surrender following the death of top Naxal leader Hidma, which had already created a leadership vacuum within the organisation. Speaking to ANI, Ankit Goyal, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Gadchiroli Range, said that the development highlights the growing success of coordinated policing efforts and outreach programmes encouraging Naxalites to abandon violence. "About 7-8 days ago, the spokesperson for the Maoist MMC zone, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh, expressed his desire to surrender. In this series, he had written two letters to the Chief Ministers of these three states. Keeping this desire to surrender in mind, we attempted to contact him. Subsequently, he, along with 10 other associates, surrendered. They also surrendered seven weapons... The Maharashtra government had declared a collective bounty of Rs 89 lakh on all these Naxalites... They are all members of the CPI (Maoist)..." DIG said. Police officials added that the surrendered cadre will be processed under the state's rehabilitation policy, and further recoveries from their disclosures are expected. (ANI)
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