Chhattisgarh recorded killing of 532 Maoists, 2004 held, 2700 surrender in two years, says HM Vijay Sharma

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister and home minister Vijay Sharma on Friday claimed sharp gains in the state’s anti-Maoist campaign, saying 532 Maoists have been killed, 2,004 arrested and 2,700 have surrendered since January 2024, as the govt reiterated its commitment to meet the March 31, 2026 deadline to end armed Left-wing extremism.Addressing a press conference Nava Raipur Sharma said sustained operations combined with a rehabilitation push were “delivering results on the ground.”Sharma said security forces recovered around 1,100 weapons in the period including AK-47s, INSAS rifles, self-loading rifles, light machine guns, mortars and pistols. He also claimed that six Maoist politburo and central committee members were killed and two surrendered, while among Special Zonal Committee members, 17 were killed, seven surrendered and one was arrested.Rehabilitation push: centres, training, “welcome kits”The deputy CM said seven rehabilitation centres are currently operational, and around 1,700 former Naxalites — including 410 women — have completed skill training so far, while 232 are undergoing training. He said surrendered cadres are being provided “welcome kits”, including mobile phones, and are assisted with Aadhaar, ration and Ayushman cards to help re-enter the mainstream. Criminal justice digitisation: ICJS rolloutOn the Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS), Sharma said the Centre has developed a unified digital platform linking police, prosecution, forensic units, courts and prisons, and claimed Chhattisgarh is among the first states to implement it. He said Bilaspur and Durg have been taken up as pilot districts where all “five pillars” have been integrated, and the system will be expanded statewide within six months.On cybercrime, he said the state has moved to clamp down on online fraud and fake SIM issuance, citing action against point-of-sale operators and “mule accounts”, and said 255 online gambling links and portals were blocked as part of a first major crackdown. He added that cyber police stations have started functioning in multiple districts including Raigarh, Korba, Rajnandgaon, Kabirdham, Mahasamund, Balodabazar, Janjgir-Champa, Jashpur and Dhamtari.Conversion cases, ATS activationSharma said 38 cases related to religious conversion were registered between 2001 and 2023, while 67 cases were registered in 2024 and 2025 combined, a rise he attributed to stricter enforcement to maintain social harmony.