Malkangiri, Nov 29: In a major breakthrough for security forces, the mastermind of the Jheeram Valley Maoist attack, senior Maoist leader Chetu alias Shyam Dada, surrendered along with nine other hardcore Maoists in Jagdalpur. The group laid down their arms before Bastar IG P. Sundarraj on Tuesday.
The Chhattisgarh government had earlier announced a combined reward of ₹65 lakh on the heads of the surrendered Maoists. Of this, Chetu alone carried a reward of ₹25 lakh, while the others together had rewards totaling ₹40 lakh.
According to police, Chetu played a central role in the 2013 Jheeram Valley massacre, where 33 Congress leaders and workers were killed in a deadly Maoist ambush. He has long been considered one of the key operational masterminds within the Maoist network.
Officials said the surrender marks a significant blow to the Darbha Maoist Division, which is now believed to be severely weakened following the exit of these top cadres.
