12 Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, five of them collectively carrying a reward of INR 600,000 on their heads, surrendered in Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh on August 9, reports Outlook. The Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Pallava said, of the surrendered Maoists, Chanduram Sethiya, who was active as a member of platoon no. 26 of Maoists, was allegedly involved in three Maoist attacks, including in Bhusaras-Chingavarm in 2008, wherein 23 Policemen and two civilians were killed. He carried a cash reward of INR 200,000 on his head.
Four other surrendered Maoists, Lakhmu Hemla, Sunil Tati, Manu Mandavi and Maituram Barsa, who were working in different capacities in separate areas of south Bastar, were carrying rewards of INR 100,000 each on their heads, the SP said adding that the remaining seven Maoists were active as lower-rung members of the outfit. “All 12 ultras said in their statement that they were disappointed with the hollow Maoist ideology, and were impressed by the ‘Lon Varratu’ (a local Gondi dialect expression, meaning ‘return to your village’) campaign being run by the Police in Dantewada. Thus, so far, 82 Maoists, including these 12, have surrendered under the drive.” the SP added.