Ahead of the upcoming general elections in Chhattisgarh, a total of 26 Naxalites surrendered in Dantewada, which falls under the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency. The polling is set to take place on April 19 in this region. Among them, Joga Muchaki was head of 'Korajguda Panchayat janatana sarkar' of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoists) and had a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said.
"They laid down arms in front of police and CRPF officials. They were part of Kistaram, Bhairamgarh, Malangir and Katekalyan area committees of the Maoists in south Bastar. They said they were impressed by the police's rehabilitation drive 'Lon Varratu' and disappointed with the hollow Maoist ideology," Rai said.
"These cadres were tasked with digging roads, felling trees to block roads and putting up posters and banners during shutdowns called by the Naxalites. They will be provided facilities as per the government's surrender and rehabilitation policy," the SP added.
The 26 persons included five women as well as two girls and a boy, all three aged 17 years, as per police.
With this, 717 Naxalites, including 176 of them carrying cash rewards on their heads, have so far joined the mainstream in the district under the police's 'Lon Varratu' (return to your home/village) campaign launched in June 2020, officials said.
FIRs filed against Cong's Bastar LS candidate
Earlier on April 13, police registered two cases against senior Congress leader and the party's Bastar Lok Sabha seat candidate Kawasi Lakhma in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district for allegedly violating the model code of conduct through his alleged objectionable remarks, officials said.
While an FIR was registered against him at Mirtur police station for allegedly making an objectionable remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, another case was registered at Kutru police station for his alleged statement against police and administration, a district official said.
(With PTI inputs)
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