Eight Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres surrendered before Police in Malkangiri District of Odisha in India on March 18, reports The Pioneer. The surrendered Maoists were identified as, Sambal Khara alias Randev (27), Bhaskar Khilla, Jogi Khara, Trinath Khilla, Radhaba Khilla, Khatru Hantal, Raghu Ram Hantal and Nindi Pangi. Of the eight surrendered cadres, Sambal Khara, a resident of Luchhapani village under Papermetla Police Station in the District, was carrying a cash reward of INR 200,000 on his head for his alleged involvement in the killing of an Andhra Pradesh Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) K. S. Rao and former legislator Siveri Soma in Dungriguda Mandal(administrative sub-division) of Araku Valley in Visakhapatnam District of Andhra Pradesh on May 8, 2018. He had joined the CPI-Maoist in 2017. The Superintendent of Police (SP), Rishikesh Khillari, said, “The Maoists have surrendered after seeing the government's development projects like the construction of Gurupriya bridge in Swabhiman area and the atrocities of Andhra Maoist leaders."
Meanwhile, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel busted a Maoist camp and recovered a cache of arms and explosives from the Maoist hideout between Tidimaska and Kurusomuhi forest area under Kalyansinghpur Police Station limits of Rayagada District of Odisha in India on March 18, reports The Pioneer. As per the report, on receiving intelligence input about the presence of the Maoists in the area, the security personnel launched a combing operation and recovered four country-made rifles, detonators, gelatin sticks, batteries, wires, and other explosive materials.