Three hardcore cadres of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), including two area committee members, surrendered before the Odisha police on Monday.
All the three left-wing extremists, who hail from Chhattisgarh, belong to the Kodanga-Mahanadi-Sanjukta area committee operating under the Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division of the Odisha State committee of the CPI (Maoist).
The arrested were identified as Lakma Madvi, hailing from Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, and Ganga Madkam and Suka Sodi, both residents of Sukma district.
According to the police, the cadres, who surrendered before Director-General of Police Abhay, were specifically deployed to resurrect the Mahanadi area committee to activate north Kandhamal and adjoining axis, which have been moribund since 2018 following the neutralisation of Badal, alias Shankar Majhi (divisional committee member), and the surrender of another influential cadre, Kunu Dehury.
“They were also under intense pressure due to intensified police action and intelligence-based operations. They revealed that they preferred to surrender in the light of the appeal of the Chief Minister, Odisha to surrender and join the mainstream society,” the police said in a statement.
“I took this opportunity to appeal again that CPI (Maoist) cadres should lay their arms and become partner in the development process. They will be accommodated as per our stated rehabilitation policy,” Mr. Abhay said.
The police added that the surrender of the cadres would land a serious blow to the Maoists’ plan and designs in north Kandhamal and adjoining axis to revive the north Mahanadi corridor up to Saranda of Jharkhand.
