Maoists Cadres Surrender After Amit Shah Tells Lok Sabha Entire Leadership Wiped Out

A large number of Maoist cadres, on Tuesday (March 31, 2026), surrendered before the police at different locations in Chhattisgarh, a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed parliament that the entire leadership of the Left-Wing Extremist groups had been eliminated or had surrendered.

In the Bastar region, over 30 former armed fighters of Maoist groups surrendered in four districts, even as authorities reiterated their appeal to the remaining Maoist cadres to abandon violence and join the society’s mainstream.

The authorities also noted that there was a limited window to avail rehabilitation benefits for active Maoist cadres if they surrender now, as the deadline to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism from the nation ended on Tuesday (March 31).

Among the surrendered Maoist cadres, 25, including 12 women, laid down arms under the ‘Puna Margem’ (New Path) and ‘Rehabilitation to Renewal’ initiatives.

The surrendered cadres were linked to the Dandakaranya special zonal committee and carried a cumulative bounty of Rs 1.47 crore, officials said.

The security forces recovered assets worth Rs 14.06 crore, including Rs 2.9 crore in cash and 7.2 kg of gold, along with 93 units of weapons such as Light Machine Guns, AK-47 assault rifles, Self-Loading Rifles, and INSAS assault rifles.

In Dantewada, five Maoist cadres, four of them women, surrendered under the same rehabilitation initiatives, and they were part of the Dandakaranya special zonal committee’s West Bastar division. They carried a combined bounty of Rs 9 lakh for information that led to their capture.

Based on information provided by the surrendered Maoists, the security forces recovered 40 units of weapons from a Maoist dump in Dantewade, including SLRs, INSAS, Carbines, .303 rifle, and barrel grenade launcher.

In Sukma, two Maoists, each carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh for information on their whereabouts, surrendered under the ‘Puna Margem’ scheme. The two armed cadres were active as company commanders in Odisha.

The security forces recovered Rs 10 lakh in cash along with weapons such as INSAS, LMG, AK-47, and .303 rifles from their dump in forests in the region.

In Narayanpur district, one Maoist cadre carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh surrendered before the police under the ‘Maad Bachao Abhiyan’. A joint operation by security forces led to the recovery of 59 units of weapons, 1,856 live rounds, and 581 items related to explosives and IEDs. Additionally, at least 330 barrel grenade launcher (BGL) rounds were seized.

Police and security forces said they had carried out intensive anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh over the past few months with active support from local villagers, significantly damaging the armed groups’ network, logistics, arms supplies, and IED-making capabilities.

In 2025-26, a total of 302 Maoist cadres had surrendered in Narayanpur district, and 270 units of weapons were recovered from them. In the Kanker district, 11 Maoist cadres surrendered in the last week, and 270 weapons were recovered.

The officers attributed the surge in surrenders to sustained operations, intelligence-based outreach, and confidence-building measures.

The surrenders and arms recoveries came a day after Amit Shah announced in Parliament that barring one, the entire Maoist leadership was wiped out in security operations over the last two years.

Shah said at the beginning of 2024, there were 21 Politburo and Central Committee members of the Communist Party of India (Maoists), but as of today, one was arrested, seven surrendered, 12 were killed, and dialogue is on with the absconding member who is expected to surrender soon.

“Thus, their Politburo and central structure have been almost completely dismantled. Our goal was a Naxal-free India by March 31,” Shah said.

“The country will be informed once the entire process is formally completed, but I can say that we have become Naxal-free,” he said, replying to a discussion on the Maoist menace in the Lok Sabha. In the past three years, 706 Maoists were killed, 2,218 were arrested, and more than 4,800 cadres have surrendered.