Seven Naxals, including three women, surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh’s restive Bijapur district on Saturday.
The rebels who laid down the arms were carrying rewards between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh on their heads, police said. They surrendered before Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P.
Police sources said that the rebels cited “disappointment with the Maoist ideology and exploitation of lower-rung cadres by senior Naxal leaders” as reasons for leaving the organisation. The surrendered rebels include Ramji alias Bicchem Karam (24), deputy commander of Udanti LOS (local organisation squad) and Lakhmu Modiyam (32), deputy commander of platoon no.2 of Maoists. They were carrying a reward of Rs 3 lakh each, Sundarraj said.
He added that Lakkhu Telam (28) and Sangeeta Modiyami (25), members of platoon no. 2 under National Park area committee of Maoists, were carrying reward of Rs 2 lakh each. The three others identified as Ranjeeta Oyam (23), Rajkumari Yadav and Hunga Podiyami (24) were carrying reward of Rs 1 lakh each.
The rebels were allegedly involved in several deadly attacks on security forces, including Ranibodli police outpost incident in which over 55 policemen were killed in 2007, Sunderraj said, adding that they were also involved in Murkinar attack in which 11 policemen laid down their lives.
