Four Maoist militia members surrendered before Malakngiri SP Akhileswar Singh on Monday. They were working as aides of Maoist leader Madhab alias Golla Ramullu who was killed in an encounter with the security forces near Chhiliba forest under Machhkund police limits on Friday.
Natives of Jodamba village in the cut-off region of Malkangiri, they are Muli Golari (22), Tilsu Khill (31), Damru Khill (30) and Kamlu Badnaik (28). The four were involved in extorting money from contractors, businessmen and Government officials on the direction of Madhab, police said. They were working as members of CPI (Maoist) Kudmulgumma Divisional Committee.
Producing them before mediapersons, Anti-Naxal Cell Inspector Abinash Reddy said the four will be rehabilitated as per the State Government’s rehabilitation policy for Maoists.
To a query on killing of Madhab, the surrendered Maoists said people in the cut-off region were happy over his death as he was a terror in the area.
Madhab was the mastermind of Janiguda ambush in February, 2012 which resulted in killing of four Border Security Force personnel including Commandant Jeevan Ram Khaswan and Deputy Commandant Rajesh Sharan.
He carried a reward of `four lakh on his head and was involved in several criminal cases in the cut-off region on the other side of Chitrakonda reservoir including Allampeka ambush that had led to killing of 38 AP Grey Hound police personnel. He was also the mastermind of the abduction of former Malkangiri Collector R Vineel Krishna.
Prior to Madhab’s killing, eight Maoist militia members including three self-styled commanders had surrendered before Malkangiri police on August 14. They were also working as aides of Madhab, but there is no case against them in police records yet. In the outfit, they were instrumental in mobilising people to the meetings conducted by the Maoist leaders. The three commanders are Raghu Hantal, Patra Hantal and Iswar Hantal from Allampeka village in the cut-off region of the district.
The others were identified as Gangadhar Khara of Kurupdar village under Chitrakonda police limits, Sarathi Hantal and Gobi Khilla
of Totaguda village under Joadamba police limits, Chandra Khara and Trinath Hantal of Tunudumadi village.
Aged between 22 and 40 years, all of them had joined the militia under Gumma cut-off area dalam in 2009.