In a significant boost to the state's anti-insurgency efforts, sixteen Maoists, including six carrying a combined bounty of Rs 39 lakh, surrendered before the Jharkhand Police on Tuesday, officials said.
Among those who laid down arms was Santosh Mahto alias Basudev Da alias Dilip, a regional committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist), who was wanted in 128 cases and carried a reward of Rs15 lakh on his head, police said.
"Of the 16 Maoists, six were carrying a total bounty of Rs 39 lakh on their heads. Five women members were also part of the group. A regional committee member and a zonal committee member are among them," the officer said.
Two sub-zonal committee members and two area committee functionaries were among those who surrendered, he said.
The surrender of Santosh Mahto, a regional committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist), was one of the big achievements for the Jharkhand Police, the officer said.
"Santosh was wanted in 128 cases registered at various police stations in several districts. He was accused of being involved in an IED blast in a forest under the border police stations of Manoharpur, Chotnagar and Jhariakela on March 1, injuring a jawan of the Cobra battalion," the officer said.
Jharkhand DGP Tadasha Mishra termed the surrender of Maoists as another "big achievement for the state police".
"We are committed to eliminating extremism and crimes from the state. The Jharkhand Police are working towards their commitment to make the state clean," she said on the occasion.
Proscribed CPI (Maoist) zonal committee member Chandan Lohra, who was wanted in 78 cases and was carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh, surrendered, he said.
The Maoists laid down six INSAS and two AK-47 rifles besides 38 magazines and 1,562 cartridges, the police added.
Other red rebels who laid down arms include sub-zonal committee members Anil Turi alias Ujjwal and Sukhlal Birjiyan alias Akela, both carrying rewards of Rs 5 lakh each.
The proscribed group's area committee members Sudesh Honhaga alias Sonaram Honhaga and Risiv, both carrying bounties of Rs 2 lakh each, and zonal committee member Santosh Manjhi alias Jagabandhu surrendered before the police, the officer said.
As part of an anti-Maoist campaign across Jharkhand, a total of 93 red rebels have been arrested, 45 have surrendered before the police, and as many as 22 were killed in encounters with security forces in 2026, the police claimed.
(With inputs from PTI)