RAIPUR: Twenty-two Maoists including nine women surrendered on Friday to senior officials of the Sukma district police and CRPF in Bastar, realising the “hollow, anti-development ideology” of the banned outfit CPI (Maoist).
“Of the 22, twelve were carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 40.5 lakh on their heads. These Maoists have been given an incentive of Rs 50000 each under the rehabilitation policy of the state government. The other facilities earmarked under the policy will also be provided to them,” said the Bastar police.
Officials said the surrendered Maoists were also inspired by the state government’s scheme ‘Niyad Nellanar’ (your own good village) pursuing various development works in remote and troubled villages besides the surrender and rehabilitation policy.
“The cadres who surrendered were active in the Maad (Chhattisgarh) and Nuapada (Odisha) divisions of the outlawed organisation,” said Kiran Chouhan, Sukma district superintendent of police.
The surrendered Naxalites included Muchaki Joga (33), deputy commander in PLGA (People's Liberation Guerrilla Army), and his wife Muchaki Jogi (28) both carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each. Two Area Committee Members Kikid Deve (30) and Dudhi Budhra (28), carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each also renounced the Maoist doctrine.
In another incident, a joint team of security forces comprising District Reserve Guards (DRG) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) inflicted ‘economic and strategic’ damage in an encounter with Maoists in Narayanpur district about 400 km south of Raipur on Friday. They recovered 11 laptops, Rs 5 lakh in cash and explosives belonging to the rebels from the encounter site.
Security forces had launched a search operation from Padamkot base camp following specific inputs about the presence of senior cadres of the banned outfit in the forested terrain of Abhujmad area of Narayanpur, the police said.
“The gunfight continued for around three hours. With the forces gaining control of the situation, the Maoists escaped from the area leaving behind their belongings. The forces recovered 11 laptops, Rs 6 lakh cash, 30 kg explosive material, 20 litres of petrol and diesel, two cooker bombs, 130 cartridges of self-loading rifle (SLR), 25 cartridges of 12-bore rifles, 18 cartridges of .303 rifles and Maoist uniform, medicines, Maoist literature among other items from the encounter site,” stated the press release issued by Bastar police.
The action of the security forces also conveyed a clear message to Maoists that they are no longer safe in any area of Abhujmad, the statement added.