22 Maoists with Rs 2 Crore Bounty Surrender in Malkangiri, Odisha
Malkangiri – In a significant breakthrough against left‑wing extremism, 22 Maoist cadres surrendered before Odisha Police on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.
The group, carrying a combined bounty of over Rs 2 crore, laid down arms in the presence of Director General of Police (DGP) Y.B. Khurania during a formal ceremony.
The surrendered cadres included senior ranks such as Area Committee Members (ACMs) and Deputy Committee Members (DCMs), with individual rewards ranging from Rs 5.5 lakh to Rs 27.5 lakh
They deposited a cache of weapons, including AK-47 rifles and self-loading rifles (SLRs), and were honoured with traditional shawls under the banner “Odisha Police Naxal Surrender.”
Officials attributed the mass surrender to the Odisha government’s revised Maoist surrender and rehabilitation policy, announced on November 27. The updated framework increased reward amounts by 10% over neighboring Chhattisgarh’s rates, marking a four‑ to five‑fold hike compared to the 2014 policy.
This marks the first major mass surrender in Odisha in 2025 and comes amid intensified anti‑Naxal operations nationwide.
Malkangiri, once a Maoist stronghold along the Odisha‑Chhattisgarh border, is witnessing a sharp decline in insurgency.
The surrendered cadres will now enter the state’s rehabilitation program, which provides financial assistance, vocational training, and support for integration into mainstream society.
Nationally, Maoist activity has sharply declined in 2025, with 1,225 surrenders, 270 neutralisations, and 680 arrests recorded across India.
Security experts view these developments as evidence of eroding Maoist ideology and growing trust in government initiatives.
