E-Paper
Two women Maoists surrender to police in Odisha
The two surrendered days after a Maoist commander wanted in at least seven cases of murder and carrying a ₹5 lakh bounty on his head was killed in Odisha’s Kandhamal district
Two women Maoists trying to reactivate the Jharkhand-Chhatisgarh “Naxal corridor” have surrendered, an Odisha Police officer said.
Inspector-general Jai Narayan Pankaj on Tuesday identified the two as Manisha Thati, 21, and Sajanti, 22, who are from Chhatisgarh. He added they joined the Maoists in 2018 and were involved in violence in Chhattisgarh and Odisha. “Their task was to reactivate the north-south corridor from Jharkhand to Chhattisgarh through south-centre Odisha.”
Pankaj said that the two told them that 10 to 12 Maoists from Chhattisgarhi left a camp of the Left-wing insurgents over the last two months. “We are trying to establish contact with them. They have also given us information about the Maoist involvement in narcotics trade and extortion,” he said.
The two would be rehabilitated and rewarded as per the state government’s policy for the surrender of Maoists. People aware of the matter said sexual harassment, high-handedness towards the lower-rank cadres, extortion, and induction of young boys and girls on false promises were among the reasons that forced the two to surrender.
The two surrendered days after a Maoist commander wanted in at least seven cases of murder and carrying a ₹5 lakh bounty on his head was killed in Odisha’s Kandhamal district last week.
Odisha’s Kalahandi, Kandhamal, and Malkangiri are among the 25 most Maoist-affected districts across eight states. On January 5, at least three Special Operations Group personnel were injured when an improvised explosive device Maoists were suspected to have been planted exploded in the Badepanga forests. Explosives and ammunition were seized following an exchange of fire with a group of Maoists on January 17 in Boudh district.
