1 1 top Maoists give up arms in G’chiroli, 6 holed up in forests

Nagpur: With 10 days to go for Union home minister Amit Shah's March 31 deadline to eradicate Left-wing extremism, the banned CPI(Maoist) suffered a big setback in Gadchiroli district with 11 hardened guerrillas, including top commanders and committee members carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 68 lakh surrendering before police on Thursday. This has virtually dismantled the once-dreaded Maoist military formation of Company 10, leaving only six cadres, including four women, still active in the dense forests, said a top official with the anti-Naxal apparatus.The tottering ‘Company 10' formation was notorious for ambushes, extortion, and attacks on security forces and C-60 commandos backed by drone surveillance, satellite imagery, and cordon-and-search operations, have moved swiftly to decimate the Maoist military wing.Among the 11 who laid down arms were high-ranking figures like Soni alias Bali Vatte Mattami (divisional committee member with ₹16 lakh reward), Budari alias Rambatti Mattami (area committee secretary, Indravati Area Committee with ₹16 lakh reward), Sukhlal Bolga Koksa (commander, west bureau supply team), Shanti alias Somari Ganga Telami (party committee member, west bureau supply team), and others from Company 10 and related dalams.The surrenders come amid a surge in desertions driven by disillusionment with the Maoist ideology, frustration over violence against civilians, and the Maharashtra govt's attractive surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy. The guerrilla exodus from the jungles follows the landmark October 2025 surrender of politburo member, Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi along with 61 others before chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Over 123 guerrillas have laid down arms since 2025.The Maoist footprint, which once spread across all 10 Gadchiroli sub-divisions, is now restricted to border pockets in Bhamragad. Senior officials stated the state's dual strategy of "development and decisive action" has paid off, with rehabilitation packages offering ₹4-8.5 lakh per individual, extra aid for couples and groups, vocational training, and security guarantees. Special IGP (ANO) Sandip Patil, DIG Ankit Goyal, and SP Gadchiroli Neelotpal appealed to the remaining six, particularly the women cadres, to join the mainstream, assuring full protection. As the countdown to March 31 intensifies, C-60 teams are on high alert to neutralise or secure the final remnants.