Five Naxals surrender in Chhattisgarh

Five Naxals, three of them collectively carrying a reward of Rs five lakh, have surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, police said on Wednesday.

Since the local police last month launched a campaign asking rebels to return to the mainstream, 58 Naxals have so far surrendered in Dantewada, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava said.

"On Tuesday, five cadres turned themselves in before police, saying they were disillusioned by the hollow Maoist ideology and at the same time were impressed by the local police's Lon Varratu (a term coined in local Gondi dialect which means 'return to your village/home') rehabilitation campaign," he said.

Out of the five who surrendered, Jagdish alias Ratan Kawasi (30), who was carrying a reward of Rs 3 lakh on his head, was the "most dreaded one", the official said, adding that he was active as deputy commander of Bodhghat LGOS (local guerrilla operating squad).

He was allegedly involved in various Naxal attacks, including the Jhara Ghati ambush in Narayanpur district in 2007 wherein seven policemen were killed, and Mardapal attack in Kondagaon the same year in which nine policemen lost their lives, he said.

Jagdish was also part of Maoists technical team and used to make muzzle loading guns, single shotguns, 12 bore guns, claymore pipe bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other explosives, and also used to repair sophisticated rifles, Pallava said.

Two other surrendered cadres, Kamlesh alias Motu Ram Poyami (22), an LGOS member, and Mani Ram Alami (24), head of Jantana Sarkar group of Maoists, were carrying rewards of Rs 1 lakh each, he said.

Besides, Janmilitia members Balku Kashyap (20) and Shivnath alias Manuram Poyami (25) also surrendered.

They all have been given an immediate assistance of Rs 10,000 each and will be provided facilities further as per the government's surrender and rehabilitation policy, the police official said.

Under the 'Lon Varratu' initiative, the police have been putting up posters and banners in the native villages of Naxals, who carry cash rewards on their head.

The posters mention the names of rebels and appeal to them to join the mainstream, the official said.