India, Nov. 26 -- Forty-one Maoists - including 32 cadres carrying a collective bounty of Rs.1.19 crore - surrendered before senior police officers in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Wednesday.

According to Bijapur Superintendent of Police (SP) Jitendra Kumar Yadav, the surrendered Maoists said they were influenced by the state government's new surrender and rehabilitation policy and the Bastar police's "Poona Margham" initiative aimed at social reintegration.

The police said that among the surrendering cadres were four members of the PLGA (People's Liberation Guerrilla Army) Battalion Number 1 and various Maoist companies, three from area committees, 11 platoon and area committee party members, two PLGA members, four militia platoon...