Six days before the deadline, Bastar's last top Maoist commander Paparao heads for surrender

RAIPUR: Bastar’s last remaining top Maoist commander Paparao is set to surrender in Bastar along with 17 cadres including eight women soon, just six days before the Centre’s March 31 deadline to end Left-wing extremism, with Chhattisgarh govt is calling the final major crack in state's Maoist command structure. Describing it as a decisive turning point in Bastar’s long anti-Maoist campaign, Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma who also holds home portfolio said, “This will be the last Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC)-level leader, to undergo rehabilitation with his entire team. Technically, with Paparao’s rehabilitation, we can say that within Chhattisgarh there is no cadre left of this level, or even below this level, in armed formation." Security agencies hold him responsible for a series of deadly Maoist attacks over the past two decades in south Bastar including Tadmetla massacre of April 2010 that killed 76 CRPF personnel, and Jan 2025 Ambeli IED attack that killed eight security personnel and a civilian driver.It is for the first time in the history of Maoist movement in Dandakaranya, the outfit has effectively become leaderless in Bastar, Bastar range IGP P Sundarraj said. Minister Sharma confirmed to TOI that Maoist commander Paparao, who carries a bounty of Rs 25 lakh, has reached out to state and police, offering to lay down arms along with his cadres under state rehabilitation framework. He's on his way to Bijapur district and is expected to handover AK-47 rifles and other graded weapons to police and formally join the mainstream life in presence of community representatives. Paparao reached out to Sharma over a phone call and conveyed several cadres were willing to return and those from different locations had assembled in forest, walked down kilometers and will reach district headquarters for formal surrender. More surrenders are expected over the coming days as the state pushes its rehabilitation drive, he added.Sharma maintained that lower rank cadres who are still around have largely settled down, abandoned uniforms and weapons, and are no longer functioning as armed Maoists. “There are two or three names left, but they are active in Telangana or Gadchiroli, not inside Chhattisgarh,” he declared.IGP said, "Paparao as a member of DKSZC and and in-charge of the south sub-zonal bureau/west Bastar division. He is also known by several aliases, including Sunam Chandraya, Mangu Dada and Chandranna and was active for nearly 25 years. DKSZC handles Maoist activities in the Bastar division and parts of adjoining states, is considered the strongest formation of the outlawed outfit and had been instrumental in executing several deadly attacks on security forces in the past two decades."Officers said that Bastar’s insurgency stands closer than ever to its declared endgame, with no senior commander of Paparao’s stature left in the region’s armed Maoist structure. Although, officers said that after the Mar 31 deadline, there wouldn't be a formal curtain down event or announcement about beating it. Who is Paparao:Aged between 55-60 years, Paparao joined the Maoist movement in 1997 as a school dropout and as per police records, was involved in several attacks.Involved in Tadmetla massacre of April 2010 that killed 76 CRPF personnel, and Jan 2025 Ambeli IED attack that killed eight security personnel and a civilian driver.Paparao has been booked in more than 40 cases and warrants, said Bijapur SP Jitendra Yadav.