In a significant breakthrough in anti-Maoist operations, 15 members of the BBM Division operating along the Odisha–Chhattisgarh border are likely to surrender before authorities. The group reportedly includes division chief Vikas, who carries a bounty of ₹65 lakh on his head.
According to sources, the Maoist cadres have formally submitted a proposal expressing their willingness to lay down arms. The communication was addressed to the Chhattisgarh government, seeking assurances under the state’s surrender and rehabilitation policy designed to encourage insurgents to return to the mainstream.
Responding to the proposal, Vijay Sharma, the Home Minister of Chhattisgarh, confirmed receiving a letter from Vikas, chief of the BBM unit of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) operating in the Bolangir–Bargarh division. The letter indicated that Vikas and 14 associates intend to surrender by March 2 or 3.
Sharma urged the cadres to surrender without hesitation and assured them that due process would be followed in accordance with government norms. He emphasised that the state’s rehabilitation framework aims to provide a dignified path back into society for those renouncing violence.
Security sources have described the development as a major milestone in ongoing efforts to curb Maoist activities in the region. The proposed surrender of a senior leader carrying a substantial bounty is being viewed as a significant achievement for security forces operating in Maoist-affected districts along the inter-state border between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
