Nine Maoists including top leader surrender before Andhra Pradesh DGP

Amaravati, March 30 (IANS) Senior Maoist leader Chelluri Narayana Rao alias Suresh, a member of CPI-Maoist's Central Committee and Secretary of Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee, along with eight other cadres, surrendered before Andhra Pradesh Police on Monday.

Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta produced the surrendered Maoists before the media here.

A native of the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, Narayana Rao worked in the CPI-Maoist party for about 36 years in various ranks. He was carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh.

Narayana Rao, who joined the Maoist movement in 1990, participated in some major offences, including the killing of MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Someswara Rao in Visakhapatnam district in 2018 and the murder of three policemen.

Death, arrest and surrender of senior cadres, disillusionment with the obsolete Maoist Ideology, lack of local public support and recruitment, attractive surrender and rehabilitation policy of the Andhra Pradesh government and extensive police out-reach programs and government welfare and developmental activities in the interior tribal areas, distancing the tribals from the Maoists, are stated to be reasons for his surrender.

Kartam Lachhu, Company Platoon Commander, People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) battalion, Podium Raje alia Rame, Area Committee Member (ACM), 13th Platoon, National Park area, Kartam Adame alias Nangi, Platform Party Committee Member (PPCM), PLGA battalion, Muchaki Masa alias Ajith, ACM, Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) DVC, Odisha State Committee, Madvi Jogi alias Rukuni, PPCM, Muchaki Laxman alias Lakma, Madivi Adama and Kadithi Hurre alias Urra, all party members, also surrendered before the police.

As per the surrender and rehabilitation policy of Andhra Pradesh, the surrendered Maoists will receive the reward amount they were carrying on their heads. While Narayana Rao will get Rs 25 lakh, others will be given an amount ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh each.

Officers also displayed 19 weapons unearthed/recovered by operational parties. These include an INSAS, 2 BGLs, five .303 rifles, 5 SBBL, and 6 other weapons.

DGP Gupta stated that in the last one year, the state police accomplished notable achievements in tackling left-wing extremists. There were seven exchanges of fire, in which 18 cadre were neutralised, including 3 CCMs (Madavi Hiduma, Gajarla Ravi @ Uday, Metturi Jogarao @ Tech Sankar), and 3 SZCMs (Venkata Ravi Chaithanya @ Aruna & Kakuri Pandanna @ Jagan, Madakam Raje).

The Andhra Pradesh Police also assisted Chhattisgarh and Odisha Police in several exchanges of fire, in which 2 CCMs and tens of other important Maoist cadres were neutralised.

It also foiled the evil plans of Maoist underground cadres, who came to commit sensational offences in Krishna, Eluru, NTR, Kakinada and Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema Districts by arresting 50 cadres and seizing several arms and ammunition, he said.

According to the DGP, 31 cadres, including 3 Action Team members and other Maoist cadres, were arrested, while 106 cadres, including a CCM and 2 SZCMs, surrendered. Police recovered a total of 120 weapons were recovered in the last one year.

The DGP appreciated the officers and staff of the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), Greyhounds and District Police for their sustained efforts in tackling Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in the state and across the country over the past decades. SIB and Greyhounds have emerged as role models for other states in successfully transforming counter-insurgency strategies from conventional policing to specialised guerrilla warfare and target-based intelligence operations.

He claimed that after a sustained counterinsurgency effort, the police successfully reduced the underground cadre strength moving into Andhra Pradesh to zero.

--IANS