Less than two months after prominent Naxalite leader Malloujula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi alias Sonu, eleven more Maoist leaders — including two divisional committee members Ramesh Lekami and Bhima Kowasi — surrendered before Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla in Gadchiroli district of eastern Maharashtra.
The surrendered Maoists, who included four hardcore Naxalites, were carrying a bounty of Rs 82 lakh on their heads.
Apart from Lekami (57) from Gadchiroli and Kowasi (35) from Chhattisgarh, the others who laid down their arms included Poriye Gota (41), Ratan Oyam (32), and Kamal Veladi (30), all from Chhattisgarh.
The others who surrendered before the State DGP comprised area committee members Poriye Veladi (36) and Ramaji Pungati (35), and platoon members Sonu Kato (19), Prakash Pungati (22), Sita Pallo (22), and Sainath Made (23).
Attributing the surrender by the eleven naxalites to their “disillusionment” by the “hollow claims” of the Maoism, the Gadchiroli police said that they were “frustrated” with the banned outfit CPI (Maoist)’s “mindless” violence against civilians “A large number of members of the banned CPI (Maoist) are attracted to the Surrender cum Rehabilitation Policy implemented by the Government of Maharashtra since 2005,” the police said. Under the state’s Government’s rehabilitation policy, if a group of Maoists surrenders together, they are eligible for collective assistance of Rs 10 lakh announced jointly by the Centre and the Maharashtra Government.
In all, 146 hardcore Naxalites have surrendered in Gadchiroli since 2022. “Thanks to the effective implementation of this Policy, a total of 783 active Maoists till date have surrendered before the Gadchiroli Police,” the police said.
Of the surrendered Maoist leaders, the surrendered Naxal leader Ramesh alias Bhima alias Baju Guddi Lekami was carrying a reward of Rs 16, announced by the Maharashtra Government, while Poriye Kumari Bhima Veladi was carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh. The others, like Sonu Podiyam alias Ajay· Sanu Kato and Sita alias Jaini Tonde· Pallo, were carrying rewards of Rs 4 lakh each. After surrender, Ramesh alias Bhima alias Baju Guddi Lekami will receive Rs 8.5 Lakh as reward, Bhima alias Situ alias Kiran Hidama Kowasi will receive Rs 8.5 Lakh reward declared by the Central and Maharashtra Government for rehabilitation and Poriye alias Lucky Adama Gota will receive `5 lakhs as reward. Other surrendered Maoists will receive different amounts as rewards.
Wednesday’s is the major instance of surrender by the Maoists in recent months. It may be recalled that on October 13, 2025, influential Naxalite leader and senior politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) Malloujula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi alias Sonu, had along with 60 Maoist cadres, had laid down arms in Gadchiroli district. Bhupathi was carrying a bounty of approximately Rs 6 crore announced by various States.