Latehar (Jharkhand), Sep 1 : Nine militants of the banned Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP) surrendered before police and security forces in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Monday, officials said.

Among the surrendered cadres were four sub-zonal commanders, each carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh, and another with a reward of Rs 3 lakh.

The others were wanted in several Left-Wing Extremism-related cases.

Officials said this is the first time in Jharkhand's history that such a large number of JJMP militants have surrendered together.

The ultras also handed over a significant cache of arms and ammunition, including five AK-47 rifles, several other firearms, and hundreds of live cartridges.

Police claimed that with this surrender, the JJMP has been virtually wiped out from the Latehar region.

Those who gave up arms include JJMP's top zonal commander, Ravindra Yadav, who faces 14 cases and has a Rs 5 lakh bounty. He surrendered with two AK-47s, three rifles, and 1,241 cartridges.

Sub-zonal commander Akhilesh Ravindra Yadav, also carrying a Rs 5 lakh reward and 10 cases, surrendered with an AK-47 and 256 cartridges.

Other sub-zonal commanders -- Baldev Ganjhu, with nine cases and a Rs 5 lakh reward, Mukesh Ram Yadav, who faces 21 cases and carries a Rs 5 lakh reward, and Pawan alias Ram Prasad, with a Rs 3 lakh bounty -- also surrendered.

Area Commanders Dhruv, wanted in three cases, surrendered with a rifle, while fellow area commanders Shravan Singh surrendered with an AK-47, a rifle, and 131 cartridges, and Mukesh Ganjhu handed over an AK-47 and 154 cartridges.

The surrender ceremony, organised at Latehar Police Headquarters, was attended by CRPF IG Saket Singh, IG, Operations, Michaelraj S, Palamu IG Sunil Bhaskar, DIG Naushad Alam, Latehar SP Kumar Gaurav, and senior CRPF officials.

Police attributed the surrender to sustained anti-Maoist operations and the state government's rehabilitation policy.

In recent months, several senior top JJMP commanders, including Lovelesh Ganjhu (Rs 5 lakh reward) and Pramod, Palendra, and Tulsi Ganjhu (Rs 1 lakh each), had also surrendered.

Since January 2025, Latehar police have arrested 75 Maoists and carried out multiple successful operations.

On May 24, JJMP leader Pappu Lohara (Rs 10 lakh reward) and Sudesh Ganjhu alias Prabhat (Rs 5 lakh reward) were killed in an encounter.

Two days later, on May 26, sub-zonal commander Manish Yadav (Rs 5 lakh reward) was neutralised, while another top cadre, Kundan (Rs 10 lakh reward), was arrested.

/IANS