As 210 Naxals lay down weapons, Chhattisgarh cops call it major blow to LWE in Dandakaranya

Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh), Oct 17 (PTI) The surrender of top Naxalite Rupesh along with 209 other cadres on Friday has dealt a major blow to the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), which is already reeling due to the deaths of its key operatives, including its general secretary, in encounters, police officials said here.

The 210 surrendered cadres, including 111 women, from Dandakaranya region, which comprises parts of south Chhattisgarh (Bastar) and bordering areas of Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, carried a cumulative bounty of Rs 9.18 crore, they said.

Takkallapalli Vasudeva Rao, also known by aliases Aashanna, Rupesh and Satish, one of the most wanted leaders of the banned outfit, carried a bounty of Rs 40 lakh, they said.

"For the first time in the history of anti-Naxal operations, such a large number of Maoist cadres have collectively quit violence and surrendered their weapons, which is a symbolic end to the armed struggle," Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range Sundarraj P said.

The surrendered cadres include one Central Committee Member, four Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) members, one Regional Committee Member, 22 Divisional Committee Members (DVCM), 61 Area Committee Members (ACM), 98 Party Members, 98 PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerrilla Army)/RPC (Revolutionary Party Committee)/others, he said.

"CCM Rupesh carried a reward of Rs 40 lakh, while four DKSZC members, Bhaskar alias Rajman Mandavi, Ranita, Raju Salam and Dhannu Vetti @ Santu had bounties of Rs 25 lakh each on their heads. Other cadres carried a bounty ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh," the IG informed.

The surrendered cadres handed over 153 weapons, including 19 AK-47 rifles, 17 SLR rifles, 23 INSAS rifles, 1 INSAS LMG (Light Machine Gun), thirty six .303 rifles, four carbines, 11 BGLs (Barrel Grenade Launchers), 41 single-barrel / 12-bore guns, one pistol, Sundarraj said.

"This historic surrender is the outcome of coordinated and sustained efforts under the guidance of the Central and state Governments, with active participation of the police, security forces, local administration, and an alert and aware society," he said.

Continuous efforts focused on peace, dialogue, and development have inspired many cadres to renounce violence and embrace a respectful, peaceful, and harmonious life within the framework of law and society, the IG pointed out.

Another police official said Rupesh, who was associated with the banned outfit for the last 36 years, had served in various positions. He was currently in charge of North Sub Zonal Bureau of DKSZC, which is the strongest formation of Maoists handling activities in south Chhattisgarh (Bastar region).

In recent months, the Maoists have suffered successive setbacks in Bastar Range and other LWE-affected districts of Chhattisgarh.

The outlawed movement has seen the neutralization of senior leaders, large recoveries of weapons and explosives, and the dismantling of multiple hideouts in their erstwhile strongholds, as per police.

So far this year, 253 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh, the most notable being the killing of Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju (70), the general secretary and top-most operative of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), and five Central Committee members.

Of the five CC members, two were killed in Jharkhand and one in Andhra Pradesh this year, police said.

According to Chhattisgarh police, after the elimination of the Maoists' general secretary and eight CC members this year and the surrender of CC members Sujatha, Bhupathi and Rupesh, now only nine Politburo and CC members are left in the banned outfit, including the dreaded commander Madvi Hidma.

Incidentally, top Naxal leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known by aliases Bhupathi, Sonu and Abhay, and 60 ultras surrendered in Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra on October 14. PTI TKP BNM