16 Maoists surrender before Jharkhand Police, deposit arms

Ranchi: Sixteen CPI (Maoist) cadres, including Area Committee Members (ACMs) and other operatives, surrendered before the Jharkhand Police in a significant boost to the state's anti-Naxal operations, officials said. According to an official list released by the police, the surrendered cadres belonged to different ranks and hailed from Jharkhand as well as neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Several of them were allegedly involved in multiple Maoist-related cases.
The surrendered Maoists deposited a cache of arms and ammunition, including INSAS rifles, an M-16 rifle, a US Carbine, magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, officials said.
The surrender Maoist include one Regional Zonal Commander, , three Zonal Commander and others. The surrender arms include ^ Insas rifle, two AK 47, one HK-33 rifle and one US carbine.  Total 1562 cartidges have also been surrendered with arms. 
The surrender Maoist include Santosh alias Basudev alias Gandhi, Santosh Manjhi aklias Jagbandhu, Chandan Lohra, Jaykant Munda, Rajnath Hansda, Anil Turi and others. 
The list includes Maoists from Giridih, West Singhbhum, Ranchi, Saraikela-Kharsawan and Bokaro districts of Jharkhand, besides cadres from Bijapur, Narayanpur and Sukma districts of Chhattisgarh.
Among those who surrendered were several Area Committee Members and senior cadres who had been active in Maoist strongholds across the two states, the officials said.
Police described the surrender as a significant success under the state's ongoing anti-Naxal campaign aimed at encouraging extremists to return to the mainstream while simultaneously intensifying operations against armed Maoist groups.
Officials said the surrendered cadres would be extended benefits available under the state's surrender and rehabilitation policy after completion of the prescribed legal formalities.
The security forces have stepped up anti-Maoist operations in recent months, resulting in several encounters, arrests and surrenders across the state. Police officials said sustained security operations, developmental initiatives and rehabilitation measures have encouraged many extremists to abandon violence and join the mainstream.
The latest surrender is expected to further weaken the Maoist network operating in the forested areas of Jharkhand and adjoining Chhattisgarh, officials added.