Top Maoist couple carrying ₹1 crore reward surrender in Odisha; 19 Maoists lay down arms

A top Maoist couple, each carrying a reward of ₹55 lakh, surrendered before the Odisha Police on Thursday (February 5, 2026), reinforcing the State’s claim that it is now almost free from Left Wing Extremism.

A total of 19 Maoists, including 15 in Rayagada district, laid down their arms before the police, Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania said while addressing a press conference. A total of 14 sophisticated firearms were seized from them.

The couple were identified as State Committee Members Nikhil alias Niranjan Rout, who hails from the coastal district of Jagatsinghpur, and his wife Ankita alias Rashmita Lenka from Tangi in Cuttack district.

“The couple had been active in the CPI (Maoist) for the past 20 to 25 years. There were very few Odias in the State Committee of the CPI (Maoist), and the rise of Nikhil and Ankita to the SCM level is an extraordinary story. They were key cadres responsible for keeping the CPI (Maoist) afloat in Odisha,” a senior police officer said.

He added that whenever top CPI (Maoist) leaders, including a central committee member from Chhattisgarh, entered Odisha through the tri junction of Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Rayagada, an area known as Sirki, Nikhil and Ankita acted as the nodal contacts.

Nikhil was active in the southern parts of Kandhamal district, an area that still lacks mobile phone connectivity. “He exercised absolute control over the local population, making it extremely challenging for security forces to reach the couple. However, the steady decline in the influence of the CPI (Maoist) eventually forced them to reconsider their continued association with the banned outfit,” the officer said. The couple belonged to the Bansadhara–Ghumsar–Nagavali (BGN) Division.

“The Odisha police is committed to completely eradicating Maoist activities in the State before March 31. To achieve this objective, anti-Maoist operations in Maoist-affected districts have been intensified and made more effective,” the State DGP said.

A robust rehabilitation and resettlement policy is in place for Maoists willing to abandon the path of violence and join the mainstream of society.

“Under robust rehabilitation and resettlement policy for Maoists, surrendered Maoists are provided with government benefits, security, and opportunities for a dignified future,” Mr. Khurania said, appealing to Maoists to shun violence and integrate into the mainstream. Recently, the Centre told Parliament that Odisha had only one district, Kandhamal, affected by Left Wing Extremists.