Seven Naxalites, one of them carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh, were arrested in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, while a woman ultra surrendered in Narayanpur, police said today (June 27).
A statement issued by Bijapur police said the seven cadres were apprehended from different villages under Bhairamgarh police station limits when a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and local police was out on a search operation.
The operation was launched based on inputs about meetings convened by Naxalites at separate locations in the area in connection with their illegal levy collection, it said.
"Of the arrested Naxalites, Ramdhar Veko (24) was active as head of Keshkutul Janatana Sarkar (people's government) squad of Maoists and carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head. The others were part of the lower rung. They were allegedly involved in incidents of attacks on police teams, triggering an IED blast in Chihka area during Lok Sabha polls on April 19 this year and firing on a police party on April 21 near Keshkutul," it said.
The seven were also allegedly involved in torching vehicles engaged in laying water pipelines under Jal Jeevan Mission in 2022, it said, adding explosive materials, an axe, Maoist publicity materials, pamphlets, banners and other items were recovered from their possession.
Woman ultra surrenders in Narayanpur
In Narayanpur, woman Naxalite Jayanti Gota turned herself in on Thursday claiming she was disappointed with atrocities committed by senior Maoists as well as the movement's "inhuman and hollow ideology", Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar said.
Gota was associated with the outlawed CPI (Maoist) since 2020 and was active as Aader area militia deputy commander under Indravati area committee of Maoists, the Narayanpur SP said.
"The setting up of new police camps in interior areas and continuous counter-insurgency operations have resulted in enhancing faith of villagers in police and administration. Now Naxalites are willing to join the mainstream. We have intelligence that more Naxalites will shun violence and surrender in the near future," Kumar said.
Gota was given instant assistance of Rs 25,000 and will be provided facilities as per the Chhattisgarh government's Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy.
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