Top Maoist leader Jampanna, wife surrender before Telangana Police following 'ideological differences' with CPI (Maoist)

Hyderabad: A senior Maoist leader, who was carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head, surrendered before Telangana Police on Monday, a top official said.

Ginugu Narsimha Reddy alias Jampanna (55), the central committee member of the CPI (Maoist), and his wife Anitha alias Rajitha, also an activist of the banned outfit, surrendered following ideological differences with the organisation, Telangana's Director General of Police M Mahender Reddy told reporters in Hyderabad.

He was working in the CPI (Maoist) for the last 33 years and was involved in more than 100 cases of various offences across the country, including 51 in Telangana.

"The reason for his surrender, in his own words, he says that he has ideological differences with the party. That's why he decided to surrender along with his wife...," the DGP said.

Anitha, who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head, was working with the outfit for 13 years and took part in many offences, he said.

The reward amounts would be given to them as part of the rehabilitation, the DGP said.

Reddy was also serving as the member of the outfit's central regional bureau, central military commission and was looking after the Odisha state committee when he surrendered, the official said.

The rebel, who hails from Telangana's Warangal district, was influenced by the CPI (Maoist) ideology while studying in Hyderabad and joined the then People's War Group (PWG) in 1984, he said.

Subsequently, he rose higher in the organisation and also played a critical role in the merger of the PWG and the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI) to form the CPI (Maoist), the DGP said.

He was involved in blowing up a police vehicle when the security personnel on election duty were returning on 15 June, 1991 at the Eturnagaram police station. Several policemen were killed in the incident, he said.

He also played a key role in the formation of the new Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh divisional committee.

"Since Jampanna has surrendered, now there are 18 other central committee members left in the organisation. We, from Telangana Police, appeal to all the central committee members to surrender before the police and then get rehabilitated as part of the rehabilitation policy undertaken by the government," the DGP said.

There are 135 'underground' cadres from Telangana working in the CPI (Maoist) across the country at present and they can directly approach the police and through kith and kin and others for surrender, a press release by the police said.

Reddy, who was present at the press conference along with his wife, said he decided to lead a normal life in view of many social changes that have taken place in the country in the last 15 years.

"I sent a detailed draft on the prevailing conditions in India today to the leadership before coming out," he said.

"Before I came out, I met some central committee comrades. They told me that it would be better to try to change the party by remaining in the party and to discuss at different fora... But, I came out to lead a normal life after deciding that it is not possible for me to do," he added.