RANCHI: Five alleged Maoists, including a zonal commander surrendered before the authorities in Ranchi on Monday, officials said.
According to officials, one of the Maoist, Amarjeet Yadav was the zonal commander of the Kaleshwari sub-zone in the Chatra district.
Wanted in dozen cases registered in Chatra, Hazaribag, and neighbouring Gaya district in Bihar, the Maoists, who together carried a reward of ₹15 lakh on their head, handed over sophisticated weapons, including two AK56 rifles, one SLR, and Insan rifles each besides several rounds of magazines and ammunition, at a special function organised in the state capital.
“Today is a very historical day as the Kaleshwari sub-zone in Jharkhand which was afflicted with Naxalism for the past 30 years has got rid of it to some extent by the joint and continued efforts of Jharkhand Police and CRPF,” said AV Homkar, IG Operations, Jharkhand Police.
Police officials said the surrender was a shot in the arm for the security establishment as it comes a month after five top Maoists were killed in an encounter in the Kaleshwari sub-zone on April 4, including two special area committee members Gautam Paswan and Charlis Oroan.
Another wanted Maoist, Indal Ganjhu, a member of the regional committee member carrying a reward of ₹15 lakh surrendered on May 4 before Chatra police, an official said.
“Amarjeet Yadav was right hand man of Gautam Paswan. After his encounter last month, the Maoists were deliberating on making Yadav the regional commander. He is named in 81 cases registered across different districts in Jharkhand and Bihar,” an official said.
