Wanted Maoist Geeta, with Rs 5 Lakh Bounty, Surrenders in Chhattisgarh

Raipur – In a continuing wave of defections from the insurgency, Geeta, also known as Kamli Salam, a female Maoist commander active in Chhattisgarh's Kondagaon district, surrendered to police on Saturday.

Her surrender follows a historic mass defection the previous day, when 210 Naxalites, including senior leaders, laid down arms in Jagdalpur, signaling a significant shift in the region’s decades-long conflict.

Geeta, who served as the Maoists’ Tailor Team Commander in the East Bastar Division, carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on her head, announced by the Chhattisgarh government. She surrendered before Superintendent of Police Akshay Kumar, citing disillusionment with the movement and inspiration from the recent wave of surrenders.

Police sources said her decision was influenced by intensified anti-Naxal operations, growing internal discord, and the symbolic gesture of rebels embracing the Indian Constitution during Friday’s ceremony in Jagdalpur.

The Jagdalpur event saw 210 Maoists, including a Central Committee member and four Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee leaders, hand over 153 weapons, ranging from AK-47s to grenade launchers. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai attended the ceremony, which was hailed as a success of the government’s approach combining trust, dialogue, and development rather than violence.

Under the Chhattisgarh Naxalism Eradication Policy, Geeta has been granted an immediate incentive of Rs 50,000, with further rehabilitation benefits in progress. Officials said her reintegration will follow the state’s structured framework for restoring lives affected by extremism.

With 238 rebels surrendering over the past three days, including the mass defection on Friday, the Bastar region is witnessing an unprecedented moment of hope. Security forces believe this trend could mark a turning point in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism.

Geeta’s surrender, though individual, reflects a larger unraveling within Maoist ranks and may serve as a powerful example for others still in the fold.

With inputs from IANS