Three Maoists, including minor surrender before Odisha police; carried reward on their heads

Rourkela: Three Maoists, including two hardcore Maoists and a minor boy, surrendered before Rourkela police on Monday.

The cadre who surrendered this morning were identified as Sidharth Lohar, alias Bhima and Krishna, 28, Phula Munda, alias Gurubari, 19 and a minor.

While Lohar was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, Phula Munda was carrying an award of Rs 1 lakh.

“Both Lohar and Munda were involved in over 25 exchanges of fire between 2015 and 2016 near Kelo, Jamdar, Koilijhar and other areas inside Odisha and also in Jharkhand,” Rourkela SP Anirudh Singh said.

Both of them were involved in the Mahulpada exchange of fire with the police on 20 May, in which a camp was damaged by the security forces.

Lohar and Munda had joined the organisation in 2005 and 2015 respectively and all the three Maoists belong to Jharkhand, Chotangpur and Ranchi districts.

“Lohar was active in Sarnada, Kolhan, Podahat, Bundu, Tamar region of Jharkhand and also in Sundergarh district of Odisha. Lohar was also active in Deogarh, Angul and Boudh districts,” the SP said.

He was part of the Sundergarh-Deogarh-Sambalpur division in the rank of district core member. “Lohar was working with the top Maoist Anmol alias Samrjee and Kunu Dehuri alias Ajay.

Lohar was carrying a cash award of Rs 5 lakh on his head and undergoing psychological pressure in the outfit after his wife, a fellow Maoist had surrendered in 2014, the SP said.

“Both of them were fed up the way the party was functioning and did not want to continue as they got disillusioned,” Singh said.

The lady cadre, identified as Phula, who got enrolled in 2015, was part of the cultural team.

“Senior members physically tortured her and she never received any salary from the party and was involved in exchange of fire with the security forces,” the SP said.

The Maoists who surrendered on Monday will receive financial assistance as per the suggestion of the screening team, the SP said.

Following busting of a Maoist camp in Mahulpada forest range on 20 May, the security forces on Sunday recovered 30 gelatine sticks, 22 detonators and five meter wire.

“This is a substantial seizure," the SP said.