India, Oct. 16 -- Around 140 Maoists, including senior CPI (Maoist) leader Rupesh and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee's (DKZC) Maad division in-charge Ranita, will lay down arms and formally surrender before Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Home Minister Vijay Sharma in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur on Friday, a senior official from the Chief Minister's Office said.

Rupesh, a prominent Maoist leader from Andhra Pradesh who was active in Chhattisgarh, has coordinated between various divisions of the DKZC and managed logistics, communication, and training in the Maad area. Over the years, he was regarded as a bridge between the Central Committee and the local zonal structure. His surrender, officials say, will "severely weaken the outfit'...