61 Naxals surrender in presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra

The Naxals surrendered along with 54 weapons in Gadchiroli district. The weapons included nine INSAS rifles and seven AK-47s.

On Wednesday, Senior Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Bhupathi, surrendered before Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with 60 other cadres in Gadchiroli district. Bhupathi carried a bounty of Rs 6 crore, an official said.

The Naxals surrendered along with 54 weapons. The weapons included nine INSAS rifles and seven AK-47s. Bhupathi alias Sonu was considered one of the most influential strategists in the Maoist organisation and had long supervised platoon operations along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.

"Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, since 2014, a decisive campaign has been launched against Maoism, and Maharashtra has been continuously fighting this long battle against Maoism," Fadnavis said in a statement to reporters.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister's office shared, "61 senior Maoist members surrendered in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with a total reward amount of ₹5,24,00,000 received."