ROURKELA: A woman Maoist cadre from adjacent Jharkhand surrendered before Rourkela police in Sundargarh district on Monday.
Mongdi Honhaga (19) was the local guerrilla squad member of the south Chhotanagra division of the banned CPI (Maoist). She is a native of Holomuli village under Chhotanagra police limits in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.
DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said Honhaga was associated with Naxal activities for the past two years in the vast Saranda and connecting forests in West Singhbhum district under the leadership of Maoist leader Anmol alias Sushant. So far, she has been found to be involved in four cases of Maoist violence under K Balang police limits in Rourkela including loot of explosives, blasting of railway tracks and killing of a CRPF personnel in explosion.
Rai said inspired by the surrender and rehabilitation policy of the Odisha government, Honhaga quit the banned outfit. She was a category B Maoist and would be rehabilitated as per eligibility.
Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani said during an encounter between security forces and Maoists in Kumdihi forest of Jharkhand on January 21, Honhaga along with other Maoists managed to escape. Since then, she was hiding in the forest. Rourkela police got information about her hideout and established contact with her. Honhaga was facing physical and mental harassment at the hands of senior cadres. She decided to surrender after being disillusioned with the Maoist ideology, Wadhwani added.
The SP appealed to other absconding Maoists to surrender and integrate with the mainstream to lead a normal life with dignity.