MP News: Woman Naxal Surrenders In Balaghat, First Case Since 1992

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A woman Left Wing Extremist (LWE) has surrendered before Balaghat police, marking the first Naxalite surrender in Madhya Pradesh since 1992, officials said on Sunday.

On October 30, Free Press had reported that despite Madhya Pradesh having one of the most liberal and attractive Naxal surrender policies in the country, not a single Naxalite had laid down arms in recent years.

Special DG (Anti-Naxal Operations) Pawan Shrivastava said the surrender of a woman Naxalite in Balaghat is a major development for the district, which has struggled with Naxal activity for over four decades. The surrender took place on November 1 at the Hawk Force camp in Chauriya.

The woman, identified as Sunita, was the armed guard of Ramder, MMC zone in-charge and Central Committee member of the Naxal organisation. Originally from Bijapur, Sunita joined the Naxalite movement in 2022 and underwent six months of training in Maad region.

She later became a member of the Malajkhand Dalam and served as an Area Committee Member (ACM), carrying an INSAS rifle. She was active across Madhya Pradesh, Gondia and Rajnandgaon divisions and carried a total reward of Rs 14 lakh.

In the past ten months, LWE cadres with a combined reward of Rs 1.46 crore have been neutralised in operations. Officials said this surrender marks the first time a Naxalite has shown confidence in the state s 2023 Naxal Rehabilitation Policy.

Shrivastava said the surrender of a woman Naxal from another state under Madhya Pradesh s policy after more than three decades demonstrates growing faith in government s rehabilitation measures.

CM hails police for woman Naxal’s surrender

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav congratulated state police force for surrender of a woman Naxalite in Balaghat district. He said Madhya Pradesh Police has consistently succeeded in curbing Naxalite activities, and this latest development adds another milestone to its record.

Yadav said that under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the state remains committed to achieving complete Naxal control by next year.

He expressed confidence that the ongoing anti-Naxal campaign will continue with full strength and ensure elimination of even minor activities linked to Naxal groups in Madhya Pradesh, especially in areas bordering Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.