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21 Maoists Surrender in Chhattisgarh's Kanker, Hand Over 18 Weapons

Police link the latest defections to security pressure alongside a rehabilitation drive as authorities press a March 2026 deadline to end Naxalism.

Overview

  • The group, led by Division Committee Secretary Mukesh, included four DVCMs, nine ACMs and eight party members from the Kuemari–Kiskodo area of the Keshkal Division.
  • Thirteen of the 21 were women, and the surrender took place in Antagarh’s Barrebeda area under the Bastar police’s Poona Margem rehabilitation initiative.
  • The cadres deposited three AK-47s, four SLRs, two INSAS rifles, six .303 rifles, two single-shot guns and a BGL, with police noting nine automatic weapons.
  • IG P. Sundarraj said verification and rehabilitation are in progress and cited the dismantling of the Kuemari–Kiskodo Area Committee with the belt moving toward normalcy.
  • The development extends an October surge that included earlier mass surrenders of 210 and 103 cadres, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the move and reiterated a March 31, 2026 goal.