Bhubaneswar/Rayagada: In a boost to anti-Maoist operations in Odisha, 15 hardcore Maoists, including senior leaders carrying hefty cash rewards, formally surrendered before Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sanjeeb Panda at a special function held at the District Police Office (DPO) in Rayagada.
The state police in a release Saturday said the surrendered Maoists voluntarily laid down their arms and handed over their weapons to ADG Panda, symbolising their decision to renounce violence and rejoin the mainstream.
Addressing the gathering, Panda said the surrender reflected the steadily weakening influence of the Left-wing extremist ideology in the region and the growing trust of misguided youth in the government’s development-oriented and people-centric approach.
He emphasised that sustained operations by the Special Operations Group (SOG), District Voluntary Force (DVF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) had significantly eroded the Maoist base.
The ADG said all surrendered cadres would be extended benefits under the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, including financial assistance, vocational training and skill development programmes, to help them reintegrate into society with dignity.
Among the 15 Maoists were Nikhil and Indu, both state committee members, each carrying a reward of Rs 55 lakh.
The group also included a divisional committee member, five area committee members and eight party members, collectively carrying a reward of Rs 1.98 crore.
The surrendered cadres handed over 14 weapons, including two AK-47 rifles, five SLRs, one INSAS rifle, one Sten gun, and one.
303 rifle, four single-shot firearms and a large quantity of ammunition. The reward linked to the recovered arms is estimated at around Rs 16 lakh.
The group belonged to the BGN Division (Banshadhara, Ghuman and Nagabali) and was active across Rayagada, Kandhamal, Gajapati and Kalahandi districts.
Nikhil, who joined the Maoist organisation in 2004 and became active in the BGN division from 2008, had risen to become one of the top Maoist leaders in the state following the killing of central committee member Ganesh Uike in Kandhamal in December 2025.
Officials noted that Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Koraput and Boudh districts have now become completely Naxal-free.
