Ranchi, Mar 1 (PTI) Two members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), including a top ultra leader who was carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head, surrendered before security forces in Jharkhand on Tuesday, police said.
They laid down arms before joint teams of state and central forces during an ongoing anti-Maoist operation that started on February 8 in the Bulbul forest range, which falls in the border area of Lohardaga and Latehar districts.
Nine Maoists have been arrested, and five others have surrendered so far, while one has been killed in the operation, a senior police officer said.
“Zonal commander of the banned CPI (Maoist) Suresh Singh Munda, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head, and area commander Lodro Lohra alias Subhash surrendered. They will get aid under the state’s surrender and rehabilitation policy,” Inspector General of Police (Operations) Amol V Homkar said.
Munda, who was active in the outfit for the last 25 years, was wanted in 67 cases in Ranchi, Khunti, Chaibasa and Saraikela districts, he said.
Lohra was carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head and booked in 54 cases, said Homkar, who is also IG of Jharkhand Jaguar, a special task force of the state police.
Speaking to reporters, Munda said the banned CPI (Maoist) has deviated from its ideology and he laid down arms as the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy is attractive.
He appealed to other members of the Maoist organisation to come back to the mainstream of society.
Echoing Munda, Lohra urged every member of the outfit to avail benefit of the surrender policy and help the administration undertake developmental activities.
The joint team for the ‘Operation Double Bull’ comprises personnel of CoBRA battalion, Jharkhand Jaguar, Central Reserve Police Force, Indian Reserve Battalion and the state police.
The security forces had on Monday recovered a total of 175 kgs of explosive materials and three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from Bulbul area. PTI SAN NAM BDC BDC
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