63 Naxals surrender in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, Nov 26: Sixty three Naxals, most of them lower-rung cadres, surrendered in Narayanpur district in Bastar region on Wednesday, taking the total number of rebels laying down their arms to over 400 in the insurgency-hit state so far this year.

"This is one of biggest achievements for police who have been fighting the menace of Left Wing extremism in Bastar for the past three decades, as altogether 63 members, including three women, of the banned outfit surrendered before police today," Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, SRP Kalluri told PTI.

"All of them had reached Benoor police station recently and expressed their wish to turn themselves in before police and join the mainstream," he said.

Of the 63 surrendered, 33 were involved in several incidents of crime, including loot, arson, attacks on the police and others, whereas no criminal cases were registered against 30 others, the IG said.

According to the official, they were working for different sub-groups and frontal outfits of outlawed CPI (Maoist), including Jantana Sarkar (people's government), Janmilitia, Sangham member, Chetna Natya Manch (CNM)-cultural wing, Dandakarnya Adivasi Kisan Sangthan, among others. The IG gave Rs 5,000 each to three women Naxals and Rs 2,000 each of 60 others as "encouragement money".

As per the policy of Chhattisgarh government, necessary assistance is provided to surrendered rebels.

"Gradually, these people have realised about the futility of war waged by rebels. If it continues, the Naxal problem will cease to exist in the region," Kalluri said.

According to police department statistics, the total number of rebels laying down their arms has reached around 410 so far this year in the insurgency-hit state.

PTI