As many as 62 Maoists surrendered with 51 rifles before the police in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.
These Maoists were surrendered at Narayanpur district before IG Bastar range Vivekananda Sinha and other senior police officers.
The surrendered rebels were active in Tumeradi area.
According to police officials, these rebels showed their willingness to give up Naxal ideology and return to the political mainstream.
Police officials said that the surrendered Maoists will be provided necessary assistance as per the rehabilitation policy of the state government.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government’s surrender policy is pushing the Left Wing Extremist (LWE) cadre to shun the path of violence.
Expressing happiness over a large number of Left Wing Extremists surrendering before the Police in Chhattisgarh, the Union Home Minister hoped that other such operatives will also abjure violence and join the mainstream.
He congratulated Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, the DGP and the police force for this achievement.
Mr. Singh said, these surrenders clearly indicate that the Chhattisgarh government is effectively pursuing a surrender and rehabilitation policy for LWE operatives and it is positively changing the security environment of the state in a big way.
Meanwhile, Maoists set ablaze a passenger bus in Bijapur district of Bastar division on Tuesday evening.
Our correspondent reports that no one was reported hurt in the incident.
The incident occurred near Sitapur, when a passenger bus was on its way to Usur from Bijapur. A group of armed rebels stopped the vehicle near Sitapur and asked the passengers to get down from the bus.
The Maoists then set the bus ablaze. After the incident security forces were rushed to the spot.
In another incident, Maoists killed a villager in Bijapur district.
Maoists abducted two persons from Peddapara village of Gangaloor area yesterday. They killed one villager today, while, released the other.
