Jharkhand: Two Maoist carrying bounty of 5 lakh surrenders in Palamu

In a significant development, two active cadres of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist) have surrendered before the police in insurgency-hit Palamu district of Jharkhand on April 19.

As per the reports, both the active Maoist was moved by the State’s rehabilitation policy and turned themselves before the authorities to surrender on April 19.

The surrendered Maoist has been identified as Santo Bhuiyan, who carries a reward of Rs 5 lakh and Rajesh Thakur. The surrendered Maoist will be rehabilitated as per the State’s Maoist rehabilitation policy and provided all possible assistance by the police, said an official familiar with the development.

Speaking with the Organiser, SDPO Palamu Rajesh Garg, while confirming the development, said that “two Maoist have surrendered before the police, one of them Santo Bhuiyan carries a reward of Rs 5 lakh, both of them have cases registered against them.”

It is to be noted that last week as many as four active cadres of the outlawed CPI Maoists have also turned before the police and surrendered. It’s been learnt that the surrendered Maoists were involved in the recent encounter between the security forces and the Maoist near the Lawalaung area of the Palamu-Chatra border in which five communist terrorists were eliminated.

All of them had managed to flee from the spot during the gunfight and were hiding in different locations in Bihar, after which they approached the police for their surrender through their close ones. The surrender included two zonal commanders of the outlawed Maoist outfit who were carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh each. However, the police have yet to announce their surrender officially, claimed sources.

It should be noted that the security forces have been conducting continuous operations against the Left Wing Extremists in the State over the past few years, ultimately leading to the arrest or surrender of many notorious Maoists in the State. These operations include Double Bull and Operation Octopus, through which the forces have managed to reclaim the Buddha Pahad region, which has been considered a Maoist bastion for three decades.