Bastar: A total of 51 Maoists, with at least Rs 1.61 crore of collective bounty upon them, have surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bastar division on Saturday, police said. They surrendered before the police in two districts under the Bastar. 

The mass surrender took place on the same day when President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Bastar Pandum 2026 festival in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district, and as Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Raipur for a three-day visit to the state.

According to sources, the surrendered cadres include 34 women. The Maoists were active in different areas of the Bastar division and had cash rewards announced on them for their alleged involvement in extremist activities.

Police said the surrendered Maoists cited the Chhattisgarh government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy as a key reason behind this move.