Two Naxalites with cumulative bounty of Rs 8 lakh surrender in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli

Gadchiroli: Two Naxalites carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 8 lakh surrendered before the security forces in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, police said on Saturday.

Ramasu Poyam alias Narsingh (55), a resident of Gadchiroli, and Ramesh Kunjam alias Govind (25), a native of Narayanpur in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, surrendered before the Gadchiroli police and the Central Reserve Police Force on Friday, police stated in a release.

Poyam, who carried a bounty of Rs 6 lakh, was recruited as a member of the Tipagadh LOS in 1992 and served as the area committee member (ACM) in Kutul and Nelnar LOS since 2010, it said.

According to the police, Poyam has 12 cases to his name, including six encounters, five murders and an offence of dacoity.

Kunjam, who had a Rs 2 lakh bounty, joined as a militia member in 2019. He was recruited as a member of the Chetna Natya Manch (CNM) in 2020 and became a member of the Kutul LOS in 2021, they said.

The duo has surrendered due to the Gadchiroli police's aggressive crackdown on Maoist activities. Their family members also persuaded them to lay down arms after the arrest of their colleagues.

The men will receive Rs 4.5 lakh each for rehabilitation as declared by the Centre and Maharashtra government.

Gadchiroli police said a large number of members of the banned CPI (Maoist) were being lured by the state government's surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy, and 680 active Maoists have surrendered to date.

As many as 20 hardcore Maoists surrendered this year only. Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police, Neelotpal, has assured that necessary assistance would be provided to those willing to surrender and join the mainstream society.