Maoist with ₹21 lakh bounty surrenders in Odisha’s Malkangiri district

A Maoist commander from Chhattisgarh carrying a ₹21 lakh bounty surrendered before police in Odisha’s Malkangiri, handing over arms, explosives and ammunition

Published on: Feb 4, 2026, 18:33:52 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: A Maoist from Chhattisgarh carrying a ₹21 lakh bounty surrendered before the police in Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Wednesday, police said.

Commander of the Kangerghati Area Committee of Maoists, Sukhram Markam alias Suresh alias Yogesh, surrendered. (Representative photo)

Commander of the Kangerghati Area Committee of Maoists, Sukhram Markam alias Suresh alias Yogesh, surrendered before Malkangiri Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinod Patil with one self-loading rifle (SLR), 12 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, one magazine, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) weighing 2 kg each, 10 metres of codex wire, six crackers, electric wire, a haversack, a whistle code, a pair of Maoist uniform, two metres of red cloth, a tarpaulin, and a torchlight with batteries.

Markam, a resident of Govindpal village in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, was involved in several violent incidents across Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Under the state’s new surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy, Markam is entitled to a total reward of ₹21 lakh, interim relief of ₹25,000 (already disbursed), a house under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, a one-time marriage incentive of ₹25,000, and other benefits designed to facilitate smooth reintegration into society.

SP Patil said the development is expected to encourage more cadres to follow suit.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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