Three Naxals, two carrying cash reward of Rs 1 lakh, surrender in Bijapur

Three naxalites, two of them carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh each on their heads, on Monday surrendered in insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said.

The cadres, including a couple, who surrendered were active in the south Bastar region, said they were disappointed by the "high-handedness of senior cadres, exploitation of tribal women and atrocities on tribals by them," Bijapur Deputy Superintendent of Police Sukhnandan Rathore said.

Those surrendered were Shankar Vedja (25) and his wife Kopo Vedja (23), military company II members and Modiyami Deva (20), a Gangaloor Local Operation Squad member.

Deva surrendered along with a 12 bore country made rifle and an air gun, Rathore said.

After joining the movement in 2005, Shanakar worked as a sangham member in the outlawed CPI (Maoist).

Subsequently, he was provided a high level training in shooting and using hand grenade following which he was inducted into military wing in 2008.

Shankar's wife Kopo was forced to join the banned outfit in the year 2006 and was soon inducted into regional company II group.

Till 2008, she was active in Malkangiri, Koraput, Nawagarh of Odisha and south Bastar-Andhra Pradesh border, the DSP said, adding, later she was shifted to military company number II.

The duo was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh each on their heads, he said.

Besides, the surrendered Modiyami Deva has been associated with the outlawed movement since 2002.

He was elevated as a commander of the student wing of Maoist during which he was tasked to visit several schools and ashram schools of the region to brainwash children and spread Maoist ideology.

Later, he was made Gangaloor LOS member, the DSP said.

According to the cadres, they were frustrated with the high handedness of the senior leaders from Andhra Pradesh (AP) who allegedly suppress cadres belonging to Chhattisgarh and exploit them, he said.

Earlier, seven senior red rebels, including two women, surrendered in Bijapur while six naxals, four of them of commander ranks, were arrested by the district police in last one week.