NEW DELHI: Security forces gunned down two Maoists in an ongoing encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Saturday, police said. Their bodies were recovered along with weapons, and search operations are underway.
The gunfight broke out in a forested area under Kistaram police station limits, where a joint team of security personnel was conducting an anti-Naxalite operation.
Personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the CoBRA unit of the CRPF were involved in the operation, which began on Friday based on intelligence inputs about Maoist presence.
A day earlier, seven Maoists, including a couple, surrendered before Sukma police. Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said the surrendered Maoists were involved in the 2021 Tekulguda ambush, which claimed the lives of 22 security personnel. One of the cadres was part of the security team of top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma.
Among the surrendered rebels, three carried a bounty of ₹8 lakh each, while four had a reward of ₹2 lakh each. They cited Chhattisgarh’s Naxalism Eradication and Rehabilitation Policy and the ‘Niyad Nella Nar’ scheme as reasons for laying down arms.
Police said efforts by the Intelligence Branch team, Dornapal Police, and CRPF Battalions 131 and 241 played a key role in facilitating the surrender. Officials noted that growing police influence and dissatisfaction with the Maoist organization’s inhumane ideology, internal discrimination, and exploitation contributed to their decision.
The surrendered couple, Ravva Muke and Hemla Hidma, met and married while active in the Maoist ranks. They, along with the others, will receive government incentives and rehabilitation support.