Overview
- Police said the seven, including four women, surrendered in Gariaband on November 7 as members of CPI (Maoist)’s Udanti Area Committee.
- Sule alias Jagat Singh and Arjita Tekam alias Suresha each carried an ₹8 lakh reward, with others identified as Vidhya Sodi, Budhru, Nandni, Mallesh and Kanti bringing the total to ₹37 lakh.
- The group handed over six firearms: one Self Loading Rifle, three INSAS rifles and two country-made weapons.
- Investigators said all had over a decade with the banned outfit and were linked to incidents between 2018 and 2025 across Gariaband and adjoining border areas.
- Police described Udanti operations spanning Gariaband, Mahasamund and Odisha’s Nuapada–Nabarangpur belt, and placed the surrender within a reported trend of over 2,200 cadres returning in 20 months toward a goal of a Naxal-free Chhattisgarh by March 31, 2026, with reintegration support for those who lay down arms.