Jharkhand Maoist zonal commander Saluka Kayam surrenders to police

On 7 August 2026, in Chaibasa, Jharkhand, the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) organization saw its zonal commander with a ₹10 million bounty, Saluka Kayam alias Dangal, surrender to police. He was accompanied by two female cadres, Kodou Munni Kora (known as Padmani) – who had a ₹1 million bounty and lives in Rangda, Banglasai, Tonṭo police area – and Pinki, a resident of Ichagda, Goilkera police area.

Saluka Kayam, a key figure in the Kolhan region and a member of the Maoist South Zone Central Committee, had long been on the police’s wanted list. His surrender comes amid intensified joint operations by Jharkhand police and central forces targeting Maoist hide‑outs in the Kolhan forests. Security agencies say sustained campaigns have increased pressure on the insurgents, making it harder for them to maintain bases.

The government’s surrender‑and‑rehabilitation policy offers former insurgents rehabilitation and other facilities, providing a pathway for them to re‑enter mainstream society.