BHUBANESWAR: In yet another blow to the banned CPI (Maoist), three cadres of Kodanga-Mahanadi-Sanjukta area committee surrendered before DGP Abhay here on Monday. The surrendered ultras are Lakma Madvi of Bijapur, Ganga Madkam and Suka Sodi both of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh.
They were active in the Kodanga-Mahanadi-Sanjukta area committee under Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division in Odisha. Police said Madvi and Madkam were area committee members (ACM) and carried cash reward of Rs 4 lakh each, while Sodi was a party member and carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh.
“The three had been specifically deployed by the banned outfit to resurrect the Mahanadi area committee to activate north Kandhamal and its adjoining axis,” the DGP told media persons. Madvi, who had joined the CPI (Maoist) in 2006, said he along with the others was under pressure due to intensified police operations against the rebels in Odisha.
Besides, they were forced by their leaders to keep moving in the tough terrains of forests. Police said the ultras’ surrender will deal a serious blow to the Maoists’ plan to revive the north Mahanadi corridor up to Saranda in Jharkhand. As many as 21 Naxals had surrendered before Odisha Police in 2020 and 15 have surrendered so far this year.