Boudh district declared Maoist-free; Kandhamal to be Maoist-free by end of March: Southern Range IG

Phulbani: In a major boost to anti-Maoist operations in southern Odisha, four active Maoists surrendered before the Kandhamal Superintendent of Police on Friday, along with their weapons and equipment.

Out of the four surrendered Maoists, three are women. All four were active cadres of the KKBN (Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh) Maoist Division. The surrendered Maoists have been identified as Ganga Kunjami alias Jiten (24), Muchaki Mase alias Sumitra (23), Chomali Kunjam alias Shantila (21), and Bandi Madvi alias Malati (22).

Background of the surrendered Maoists

Ganga Kunjami hails from Pandupada village in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, Muchaki Mase from Batum village in Sukma district, Chomali Kunjam from Metapal village in Bijapur district, and Bandi Madvi from Potali village in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. All four were actively involved in Maoist activities and have multiple criminal cases registered against them in police stations across Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

This information was shared by Southern Range Inspector General of Police Niti Shekhar during a press conference held at the Kandhamal district police headquarters on Friday.

Seizure of arms and Maoist materials

Following the surrender, police seized a large cache of arms, ammunition, and Maoist materials, including one SLR rifle, two .303 rifles, one bore gun, 16 rounds of SLR ammunition, 22 rounds of .303 ammunition, four bore gun cartridges, two wireless sets, aluminium cooking utensils, medicines, Maoist literature, polythene sheets, haversacks, clothes, blankets, winter wear, pens, torches, battery chargers, solar plates, batteries, umbrellas, shoes, and other daily-use items.

Police officials welcomed the surrendered Maoists with flower bouquets.

Reason behind surrender

The surrendered Maoists stated that they were unable to withstand sustained combing operations by Odisha Police and were also motivated by the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy. Two of the women Maoists, Muchaki and Chomali, appealed through the media to other Maoists to abandon violence and join the mainstream of society.

Maoist situation in Kandhamal

IG Niti Shekhar stated that while Boudh district has become completely Maoist-free, Kandhamal district is expected to be Maoist-free by the end of March. At present, the KKBN Maoist Division and Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagabali (BGN) Maoist Division remain active in Kandhamal forests, with an estimated presence of 50 to 60 Maoists.

The press conference was attended by Kandhamal SP Harisha B.C., CRPF 127 Battalion Commandant Sajeev T.M., BSF 136 Battalion Commandant Manas Ranjan Panda, BSF 116 Battalion Commandant Ajay Kumar, among other senior officials.