VIJAYAWADA: Six Maoist militia members including four women, who worked in various cadres in the banned outfit, surrendered before Andhra Pradesh Director-General of Police (DGP) D Gautam Sawang on Thursday.
The surrendered Maoist party members were identified as Chikkudu Chinnarao alias Sudheer (32), Vanthala Vannu (25), Madakam Somidi (25), Madakam Manglu (21), Poyam Rukini (18) and Sodi Bheeme (18).
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sawang said that Chinnarao was a divisional committee member of Korukonda area committee. He was involved in 93 offences including 14 murders, 11 exchanges of fire and 7 land mine blasts. Vanthala Vannu was involved in 10 offences including the murders of former MLAs Kidari Sarverswar Rao and Siveri Soma. Vannu and Madakam Somidi also worked in the protection team of Maoist top leader Rama Krishna popularly known as RK.
While Mangulu participated in nine offences, Rukini and Bheeme participated in three offences each.
Sawang said that surrender of the six militia members is a major setback to the Maoist party, which has been losing ground in Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB). He said that the Adivasi people are distancing themselves from Maoists, even in the interior areas, which used to be their base.
Sawang attributed the surrender to the development activities undertaken by the state government in tribal areas.
