A day after Bhuvneshwar, along with his wife and 13 others, surrendered to the Odisha police, Maoist leader Niranjan Raut alias Nikhil on Saturday appealed to the underground ultras to shun violence and return to the mainstream.
The Maoist leader appealed for the underground ultras to return to the mainstreamNikhil and his 42-year-old wife, Rashmira Lenka, also known as Indu, were both members of the state committee and were carrying the award. ₹55 lakhs each. They were welcomed into the mainstream of society in a ceremony attended by ADGP Sanjeev Panda and other senior officials.
Overwhelmed by the Odisha police’s gesture, Nikhil released an audio message to all his comrades urging them to shun violence and join the mainstream.
“As I could not contact all of you before the surrender, now I request everyone to refrain from violence and accept the surrender and rehabilitation policy of Odisha Police,” said Nikhil, a resident of Jagatsingpur district.
Surrender extremists believe in the democratic system and recognize that there is no point in waging war against the state when the administration acts on behalf of the people.
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“The surrender of 15 Maoists reflects the continuing weakening influence of left-wing extremist ideology in the region and the growing confidence of misguided youth in the government’s development-oriented and people-centric approach,” Panda said while lauding the ongoing operation by SOG, DVF, CRPF, and its constituent security forces.
The ADGP said Odisha was moving towards a “Naxal-free” state as an estimated 30 to 35 Red rebels were underground.
“We hope they all come forward and accept the state’s surrender and rehabilitation scheme,” Panda said.
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He said that the 15 surrendered Maoists included two state committee members, 1 division committee member, 5 area committee members and 8 party members. Together they had a prize of Rs 1.98 crore.
They surrendered 14 weapons including 2 AK 47 rifles, 5 SLRs, 1 INSAS, 1 Stengun, 1.303, 4 single shot and huge quantity of ammunition. The reward amount against weapons is around 16 lakh, he said.
The 15-member group belonged to the BGN division and was operating in Rayagada, Kandhamal, Gajapati and Kalahandi districts, Panda said, adding that Nikhil joined the Maoist group in 2004 and was active in the BGN since 2008.
“After the killing of central committee member Ganesh Weeke in Kandhamal in December 2025, Nikhil was the next highest ranking Maoist in the state,” the ADGP said, adding so far Nuapada, Navarangpur. Malkangiri, Koraput and Boudh districts have become completely Naxal free.
Panda appealed to other Maoists to desist from violence and surrender to the police, assuring them of all possible assistance as per the surrender policy.
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