RANCHI, July 28 — Sixteen insurgent cadres, including top commanders wanted in hundreds of criminal cases, formally laid down their weapons to join the mainstream at a ceremony in Ranchi on Tuesday. The cadres, fifteen of whom belong to various districts across Jharkhand and one from neighbouring Odisha, surrendered before Director General of Police Tadasha Mishra as part of the state’s proactive rehabilitation framework.
Prominent among those choosing the path of peace is Regional Commander Santosh, alias Basudev Da, a native of Giridih’s Pirtand area who carried a Rs 15 lakh bounty and faced 128 registered cases.
Senior officers maintained that the surrender of senior leaders who possessed deep tactical knowledge of the Kolhan and Saranda forest corridors marks a positive shift toward lasting peace in rural belts.
Surrendering along with the regional commander were Zonal Commander Chandan Lohra from Khunti, wanted in 78 cases with a Rs 10 lakh reward, and Sub-Zonal Commander Anil Turi alias Ujjwal from Lohardaga, who carried a Rs 5 lakh bounty. The overall group consisted of one Regional Commander, three Zonal Commanders, three Sub-Zonal Commanders, six Area Commanders, and three squad members.
Police authorities asserted that state welfare initiatives and sustained community outreach have convinced cadres to abandon armed opposition. Officers reported that three male and five female members from adjacent zonal committees in Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur have similarly stepped forward to surrender in Chhattisgarh. Law enforcement officials maintained that state rehabilitation benefits will be extended to all surrendering personnel to assist in their peaceful integration into society.
