56 Maoists surrender in Chhattisgarh

As many as 56 Maoist guerrillas surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region on Friday while in a separate incident three central paramilitary personnel were wounded in a tunnel explosion.

In the first incident, three members including deputy commandant of 217 Kobra Battalion were left badly wounded when an explosives-laden tunnel engineered by the Maoists exploded while the team was heading from its camp to a village.

A total of 56 Maoists, the maximum so far, carrying a total reward of Rs.14 lakh, laid down their arms before Bastar's Inspector General S.R.P. Kalluri, the superintendent of police and the district collector.

At least 11 of these Maoists had ration cards, 46 of them had Aadhar cards, 36 had voter identity cards and five had passbooks, an official said.