Chaitu, currently part of the DKSZCM cadre, had a bounty of ₹25 lakh on his head and had survived multiple encounters with security forces in the forests of Bastar. At 63, he has spent 45 years in Naxal operations, with 35 years active in Bastar. IG Sundarraj P stated that bounties worth ₹65 lakh were announced for Chaitu and other surrendered Naxals, while searches continue for other top Naxal members, including Politburo member Devji, Central Committee member Ramdar, DKSZC member Paparao, and others.
Chaitu says Naxalism has no future
After surrendering, Chaitu stated that fellow Naxals Rupesh and Sonu Dada had also laid down their arms. “At my age, considering the current circumstances, I decided to abandon violence with my companions and approach the police,” he said.
About the Jhiram Valley attack
The attack occurred on 25 May 2013, during the Congress Parivartan Yatra in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, ahead of the state assembly elections. The convoy, consisting of around 25 vehicles and 200 leaders and workers, included top Congress leaders like state president Nandkumar Patel, his son Dinesh Patel, and Kavasi Lakhma. Congress in Bastar, including Mahendra Karma and Malkeet Singh Gaidu, were part of the convoy.
The convoy was ambushed in Jhiram Valley at around 3:40 pm, when Naxals felled trees to block the route. Over 200 Naxals opened fire, killing Nandkumar Patel and his son on the spot. Firing continued for nearly 90 minutes. Mahendra Karma was brutally shot 100 times, and some vehicles were hit by IED blasts, with parts still stuck in the river even 12 years later.
Political controversy and investigation
The Congress accused the BJP government of negligence in security, calling the attack politically motivated, while BJP maintained it was a Naxal operation. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case on 27 May 2013. The first chargesheet was filed in September 2014, followed by a supplementary chargesheet in October 2015. The trial is ongoing in the Jagdalpur NIA court, though the NIA’s detailed report has not been made public.
Survivors’ account
Malkeet Singh Gaidu, a survivor and Congress general secretary, described the attack as a “contract killing,” noting that the Naxals neither claimed responsibility nor released any video of the assault. He has consistently called it a supplied hit, emphasizing the need for transparency and further investigation, possibly by an SIT, to identify the culprits.
This surrender marks a major breakthrough in Chhattisgarh’s long-standing Naxal insurgency.
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