Ten Maoists, including four women, surrendered on Sunday (December 7, 2025) after laying down arms in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in Balaghat district.
The development comes a month after a woman Maoist surrendered in Balaghat, becoming the first to lay down arms in Madhya Pradesh since the introduction of State’s new rehabilitation policy, launched in August 2023.
Speaking at a programme held for the formal surrender, Mr. Yadav said the 10 Maoists together carried a reward of ₹2.36 crore across Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
The Maoists include Surendra alias Soma Sodi, 50, a sub-zonal committee secretary in the Kanha-Bhoramdeo (KB) division of the Maharashtra–Madhya Pradesh–Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone with a reward of ₹62 lakh on him. A native of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, he was also the military chief of the Darbha division of the Maoists.
Another surrendered Maoist, Rakesh Odi alias Manish, 42, a resident of Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district and a secretary in the MMC zone, also carried a bounty of ₹62 lakh. Apart from him, all nine are from Chhattisgarh.
The arms and ammunition put down by the Maoists included two AK-47 rifles, two INSAS rifles, two single-shot rifles, a self-loading rifle, seven barrel grenade launcher (BGL) cells, five detonators, four walkie-talkie sets, and over 100 rounds of cartridges.
“The government is committed to making Madhya Pradesh Naxal-free, in accordance with the goals set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Under their leadership, the campaign of aakhiri salaam to lal salaam [last salute to red salute] is progressing. Nobody will be allowed to take up arms in the State,” Mr. Yadav said, urging more Maoists to lay down arms under the Madhya Pradesh Surrender, Rehabilitation cum Relief Policy, 2023.
“The government will make every effort to secure their lives, ensure their development, and integrate them into mainstream society,” he added.
The Chief Minister also congratulated the State’s police force, including the anti-naxal unit Hawk Force, and said that at least 10 hardcore Maoists have been eliminated this year in Balaghat zone.
“In our campaigns of the past two years, Mandla and Dindori [districts] have become completely free from Maoist activity,” Mr. Yadav said, adding that Maoist presence and activities will significantly drop in the Balaghat zone after the latest surrender.
Hawk Force Commandant Shiyaz K.M. told The Hindu that the 10 Maoists were part of a unit of 18 members, residing in the Kanha Tiger Reserve forests, and that six of its members were eliminated in encounters in February and April.
“We eliminated four in February and two in April. A couple from this unit ran off to Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur and surrendered earlier this year,” he said.
Mr. Shiyaz said that contact was established with the group earlier this week after an intelligence unit of the force came in touch with a forest guard in the Kanha Tiger Reserve who had been approached by the Maoists seeking help in moving to Chhattisgarh.
“They were planning to go to Chhattisgarh but our team established contact with them and convinced them to meet the Inspector General of Police (IG), Balaghat,” Mr. Shiyaz said, adding that the group was made aware of the benefits and provisions under the State’s rehabilitation policy.
He said that the new rehabilitation has been propagated in the forest areas of the Kanha Tiger Reserve and forest guards are a key part of it.
“They live in the middle of the forest and often come in contact with the Maoists. So, we have advertised the policy among them properly and assure them that they will also get benefits if they help the police,” he said.
The Commandant said that proposals of the 10 Maoists will be submitted to a surrender committee that will decide on the terms.
“We also keep an eye on them for a period decided by the committee and observe their activities, and help them transition to a normal life,” he added.
Published – December 07, 2025 09:53 pm IST
