Two Naxalites surrendered in Madhya Pradesh, reward of Rs 43 lakh was announced

Security forces got a major success in the Naxal-hit Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, when two notorious and long-wanted Naxalites surrendered. According to the police, both Naxalites Deepak and Rohit laid down their arms in the Central Reserve Police Force camp located at Korka under Birsa police station area.

Reward of Rs 29 lakh on Deepak

A combined reward of Rs 43 lakh was declared on both of them, due to which the security agencies considered them to be very important targets. Deepak, a resident of Palagondi, had a reward of Rs 29 lakh on him, while a reward of Rs 14 lakh was declared on Rohit, officials said. Both were part of the Naxalite network active in the area for many years and their names have also been linked to several attacks on security forces. The police and CRPF were constantly on the lookout for him and he was considered an important cadre of the organization.

CRPF and local police officials have described this surrender as a very important achievement for the ongoing operation in the area. According to an official, joint operations, continuous pressure and effective tactics on the ground forced these Naxalites to surrender. He said that this step will deal a deep blow to the Naxalite system operating in the area and the security scenario will be further strengthened.

According to the police, both the Naxalites have now expressed their desire to return to the mainstream and live a normal life. The administration will also provide them assistance under the rehabilitation scheme. This scheme provides economic and social support to those Naxalites who want to leave the path of violence and join back the society.

What did Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra say?

District Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra informed that after the surrender of Deepak and Rohit, there is no hardcore and high-level Naxalite active left in Balaghat district. Describing it as a historic achievement for the district, he said that this incident can inspire other Naxalites to surrender in the future.

Officials believe that the Naxalites’ hold in the surrounding areas including Balaghat has been weakening for some time. Naxalite organizations are under pressure due to continuous operations by security forces, strengthening of intelligence system and increasing local support. This latest surrender is being considered a part of this change.