Chhattisgarh: Five Naxals surrender in Dantewada

Five Naxals surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada on Thursday. Those who surrendered included Gangu alias Lakhan Kuhdam (38), 'commander' of Bhairamgarh area committee of Maoists, who was wanted in at least 21 cases in Dantewada and neighbouring Bijapur district.

Raipur: Five Naxals, two of them allegedly involved in multiple attacks on security forces and carrying huge rewards on their heads, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Thursday, police said.

The rebels, including a woman, turned themselves in before police and CRPF officials, said district Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava.

They told officials that they were disappointed with the "hollow Naxal ideology" and the police's rehabilitation drive `Lon Varratu'' prompted them to lay down arms, he said.

So far, 293 persons have quit naxalism in the district since Lon Varratu (`return to your home' in Gondi) campaign was launched in June 2020, Pallava said.

Those who surrendered on Thursday included Gangu alias Lakhan Kuhdam (38), `commander' of Bhairamgarh area committee of Maoists, who was wanted in at least 21 cases in Dantewada and neighbouring Bijapur district, he said.

Kuhdam was allegedly involved in the killing of three civilians in separate incidents in Bijapur last year and in the Tadkel encounter in 2008 where six policemen and as many ultras were killed, he said.

Laxmi alias Sanni Oyam (38), another surrendered naxal, was commander in the same Bhairamgarh area committee unit and allegedly involved in at least nine incidents of violence, including a landmine blast in 2004 in Jangla area of Bijapur.

Seven Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel had been killed in the blast.

The two were carrying rewards of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads, Pallava said.

The other three who surrendered -- Hemla Bandi (28), Kosa Madkam (23) and Madvi Hidma (18) -- were lower-rung cadres, he added.

Each of them was given immediate assistance of Rs 10,000 and will be provided more help as per the government''s surrender and rehabilitation policy, the SP said.

Under the ''Lon Varratu'' campaign, Dantewada police have put up posters and banners in native villages of at least 1,600 Naxals, most of them carrying cash rewards on their heads, and appealed them to return to the mainstream.

PTI