Bhubaneswar: A day after surrendering before Odisha Police along with his wife and 13 others, Maoist leader Niranjan Rout alias Nikhil Saturday appealed to the underground ultras to shun violence and return to the mainstream.
Nikhil (45) and his 42-year-old wife, Rashmira Lenka, also known as Indu, were both state committee members, and they were carrying rewards of Rs 55 lakh each. They were welcomed to the mainstream of society at a function attended by ADGP (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sanjeeb Panda and other senior officials.
Overwhelmed by the gesture of Odisha Police, Nikhil released an audio message to all his comrades and urged them to shun violence and join the mainstream.
“Since I could not contact you all before surrender, now I urge all to shun violence and accept the Odisha Police’s surrender and rehabilitation policy,” Nikhil, a resident of Jagatsinghpur district, said.
The surrendered ultras reposed faith in the democratic setup and admitted that there was no meaning in waging war against the state when the administration takes pro-people measures.
“The surrender of 15 Maoists reflects the steadily weakening influence of left-wing extremist ideology in the region and the growing trust of misguided youth in the government’s development-oriented and people-centric approach,” Panda said while appreciating the sustained operation by security forces belonging to SOG, DVF, CRPF, and BSF.
The ADGP said Odisha is heading towards a “naxal-free” state as there were an estimated 30 to 35 red rebels remaining underground.
“We hope all of them will come forward and accept the state’s surrender and rehabilitation scheme,” Panda said.
He said the 15 surrendered Maoists comprised two state committee members, 1 divisional committee member, 5 area committee members and 8 party members. Together they were carrying reward of 1.98 crore.
They surrendered 14 weapons, including 2 AK 47 rifles, 5 SLRs, 1 INSAS, 1 stengun, 1 .303, 4 single shots and a huge quantity of ammunition. The reward against the arms is about 16 lakhs, he said.
The 15-member group belonged to the BGN division (Banshadhara, Ghuman, Nagabali) and was operating in Rayagada, Kandhamal, Gajapati and Kalahandi districts, Panda said, adding that Nikhil had joined the Maoist outfit in 2004 and he was active in BGN since 2008.
“After the killing of Central Committee Member Ganesh Uike in Kandhamal in December 2025, Nikhil was the next highest ranking Maoist in the state,” the ADGP said, adding that so far Nuapada, Nawarangpur. Malkangiri, Koraput, and Boudh districts have become completely Naxal-free.
Panda appealed to other Maoists to shun violence and surrender before the police, assuring them of all possible assistance as per the surrender policy.
PTI
