Bhubaneswar: Two hardcore cadres of a banned CPI (Maoist) outfit surrendered before the I.G of Police, Northern Range, Sambalpur, and S.P, Baragarh on Friday.
The Maoists have been identified as Amila Tati (35) of Parnal village and Raghu Padam (31) of Tolad village. Both belong to Chhattisgarh.
Amila was the Area Committee Member (ACM) and Platoon Commander of Baragarh Local
Organizing Squad (LOS) operating under Bolangir – Baragarh – Mahasamud (BBM) Division of CPI (Maoist). While Raghu was the Area Committee Member (ACM) of the Bolangir Local Organizing Squad (LOS) operating under the Bolangir – Baragarh – Mahasamud (BBM) Division of CPI (Maoist).
Amila has been active in the Gandhamardan Reserve Forest area since 2010. She was actively trying to expand Maoist activities in Baragarh and Bolangir districts. She was carrying a cash reward of Rs 4.00 lakhs.
Similarly, Raghu has been active in the Gandhamardan Reserve Forest area since 2012. He was actively trying to expand Maoist activities in Baragarh and Bolangir districts. He was carrying a cash reward of Rs 3.00 Lakhs.
The surrender of these two hardcore Maoist cadres has dealt a severe jolt to the Maoist activities in the Gandhamardan area. They surrendered before the Police after realizing that the outfit had lost its ideological commitment and instead of working for the poor and toiling class of the society, the outfit was indulging in meaningless lawless activities like extortion, attack on innocent civilians and security force personnel etc.
They also revealed that the Chhattisgarh cadres, particularly the women cadres are being subjected to continuous physical, psychological and sexual harassment in the outfit. Both the surrendered Maoist cadres were involved in several heinous crimes including the killing of one Raj Kishore Panda of village Telenpalli, PS – Khaparakhol on 14.8.2011, Krushna Punji, Ward Member of village Khuripani, PS – Khaparakhol on 14.11.2011, Bijay Sahoo of village Salepalli, PS – Paikmal on 17.03.2018, Exchanges of Fire with Police in Gandhamardan RF area on 21.06.2011, 08.08.2020, 26.9.2017 and 23.02.2024, etc. and burning of Kenduleaf godowns in Khaparakhol.
