Hardcore Maoist, wife surrender in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Malkangiri, Aug 5:

“Disillusioned” with the activities of the Maoist party and realising that they had deviated from the original ideology, a hardcore Maoist, carrying a reward of Rs 4 lakh on his head, and his wife today surrendered before the Odisha police in Malkangiri.

Bhima Sodhi (28) alias Russi of Kalimela area and his wife Nangi Kunjami surrendered in the presence of Inspector General of Police (South) Y K Jethwa and other senior police officers here.

The couple said they were fed up with the senseless killings carried out by the Maoists against poor and innocent people.

” We wish to work for the larger interests of fellow tribals now,” they said.

Jethwa said Bhima, who worked as the assistant commandant for Padia Maoist Dalam, was involved in around 17 criminal acts including murder and was carrying a reward of Rs 4 lakh on his head.

The IGP said a number of Maoists are interested to return to the mainstream as they are fed up with the activities of the rebels and that the duo’s surrender was clear sign of this. He said after joining the outlawed CPI (Maoist) Bhima was actively involved in several acts of violence including ambush of security forces, explosions and encounters with police and killings.

Bhima’s wife Nangi, Jethwa said, joined the Maoist outfit in 2012  and worked for their cultural troupe ‘Natya Mandal’.