Bhawanipatna: A Maoist carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head surrendered before police in Kalahandi district, an officer said Monday.
The surrendered Maoist has been identified as Laxman Apka, 30, alias Lalsu aka Sendhu. He belongs to Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh under Ganglore police station. He had joined the banned outfit in 2009 in Ganglore Dalam at the age of 17 years and shifted to Odisha in 2011.
Since then, he was operating in BGN division in Kalahandi district and now is the area committee secretary. He surrendered before DIG Rajesh Pandit, Kalahandi SP Saravana Vivek and CRPF Commandant Biplab Sarkar.
The SP said Lalsu was gradually disillusioned with the outlawed Maoist activities. But the immediate motivating factor was the marriage of surrendered Maoist couple Ramdas and Kalamdei organised by Kalahandi police April 22 at Bhawanipatna reserve police barrack compound.
The surrendered Maoist was involved in the exchange of fire with police at Manaska in 2016, Barangapadar in 2017, Turkey and Kotalghati in 2019 and Sohespadar in 2020, the DIG said.
He is being further interrogated to ascertain his involvement in other offences, Pandit said.
He will be rehabilitated as per the surrender and rehabilitation policy of the state government and will be provided financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh besides homestead plot with building assistance, marriage allowance, study allowance of Rs 3,000 per month and vocational training, the DIG said.
Steps will be taken for his gainful employment, the DIG said, adding that during the last six years, seven Maoist cadres operating in Kalahandi have surrendered and were provided rehabilitation assistance.
