In a significant development for security forces in central India, an entire Maoist military unit has laid down arms in Gondia, Maharashtra. The surrender comes just hours after the Communist Party of India (Maoist) made a dramatic peace appeal announcing a temporary cessation of armed struggle.
Major Blow to Maoist Forces
Eleven members of the Darrekasa dalam, including their commander Vikas Nagpure alias Anant, surrendered before Gondia Police late Friday. The unit was active in the dense jungles spanning the tri-junction of Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh, Gondia in Maharashtra, and Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh.
The surrendered cadres walked out of the jungles carrying seven firearms and a substantial cache of ammunition. The collective bounty on their heads amounted to a staggering ₹89 lakh, highlighting their significance within the Maoist hierarchy.
Failed Peace Negotiations
Earlier, Anant had made an unprecedented appeal to the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, along with Chhattisgarh's home minister, requesting a 34-day halt in security operations. This pause was intended to allow scattered guerrilla units to regroup and surrender peacefully.
However, security agencies swiftly rejected any pause in commando operations, maintaining pressure on the insurgent groups. The Maoists had established an open Baofeng radio frequency (435.715 MHz) with a daily 15-minute contact window between 11-11:15 am for cadres wishing to surrender.
The outfit had insisted that the 10-15 day timeframe proposed by authorities was insufficient, sticking firmly to their January 1, 2026 deadline for surrender. They also announced the cancellation of their annual People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) week celebrations.
Key Figures and Firearms Recovered
Vikas Nagpure, who served as the special zonal committee member and chief of the Rajnandgaon-Gondia-Balaghat division, deposited an AK-47 rifle with two magazines and two mobile phones. He carried an individual bounty of ₹25 lakh.
His two deputy commanders also surrendered significant weapons: Nagsu alias Golu alias Pandu Pusu Bade (35), who commanded the dalam, and woman cadre Rano alias Rame Yeshu Narote (30) surrendered an SLR and an INSAS rifle respectively.
The remaining eight cadres included:
- Five area committee members
- Three dalam members
- Senior technical experts
- Civil organizers
- Security guards
The presence of women cadres among the surrendered group underscores the growing disillusionment even among hardened female guerrillas with the Maoist movement.
Strategic Victory for Security Forces
Gondia Superintendent of Police Gorakh Bhamre confirmed that all 11 surrendered guerrillas will receive full benefits under both Maharashtra and Central government surrender and rehabilitation policies.
Security officials revealed that multiple factors contributed to this breakthrough:
- Sustained pressure from joint operations by three state forces
- Massive development outreach in affected areas
- The recent peace appeal from Maoist leadership
Deputy Inspector General Ankit Goyal described the collapse of Darrekasa dalam as a decisive victory for security forces in the Red corridor. With this surrender, the Rajnandgaon-Gondia-Balaghat Division Committee has lost one of its last active military formations, significantly weakening Maoist presence in the tri-junction area.
The swift surrender following the peace announcement indicates the mounting pressure on Maoist units operating in the region and potentially signals a turning point in the long-standing conflict.
