Three Maoists from Chhattisgarh surrender before Odisha DGP

BHUBANESWAR: Three Maoists, who were involved in several Naxal-related violence in Odisha, surrendered before director general of police Abhay at his camp office in Bhubaneswar on Monday.
They were identified as Lakma Madvi, Ganga Madkam and Suka Sodi, all residents of Chhattisgarh. While Madvi and Madkam were area committee members (ACMs), Sodi was a party member of the CPI (Maoist). The surrendered cadres belonged to Kodanga-Mahanadi-Sanjukta area committee operating under Kalahandi Kandhamal Boudh Nayagarh (KKBN) division of Odisha state committee of CPI (Maoist).
“The three cadres had been specifically deployed by the Maoist outfit to resurrect Mahanadi area committee and to activate north Kandhamal and adjoining axis, which is in a moribund stage since 2018 following the encounter of Maoist leader Badal alias Shankar Majhi and surrender of Kunu Dehury,” Abhay said.
Police said the trio surrendered following frequent appeals by chief minister Naveen Patnaik to Maoists to shun the path of violence and join the mainstream. Besides, the three Maoists were under intense pressure owing to the intensified anti-Maoist operations by the security forces and intelligence-based operations. They were also impressed by the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.
“The surrender of the three Naxals will give a serious blow to the Maoists’ evil designs in north Kandhamal and adjoining axis. Their plan to revive the north Mahanadi corridor up to Saranda of Jharkhand will fall flat,” Abhay said.
At least five Maoists have surrendered in Odisha in the last fortnight. On August 8, a woman Maoist of the KKBN division had surrendered before the police in Kandhamal district. Another top Maoist leader quit the Maoist outfit and surrendered before the police in Balangir on August 1. Altogether 15 Maoists, including some top cadres have surrendered, 25 others have been arrested and three Naxals were gunned down by the security personnel in Odisha between January and August this year.