Bhubaneswar: Maoist State Committee member holds A $Odisha DGP YB Khurania on Tuesday said that the reward worth Rs 55 lakh, Sukru, surrendered before the police in Kandhamal district along with an AK-47 rifle. He was said to be the last influential leader among the Maoist cadre.
Four other Maoists also laid down arms with him, in what police described as a major boost to ongoing efforts to curb Maoist activities in the state.
Sukru, a native of Malkangiri district, was considered a top Maoist active in Odisha and was leading a group of about 13 cadres, mostly from Chhattisgarh, operating in Kandhamal. Khurania said he had recently been running a new group called “Eighth Company” to continue Maoist activities in the region.
Officials said Sukro was opposing the trend of Maoist cadres surrendering to the authorities. In January this year, he allegedly killed Asghar Anoush, a member of the division committee and commander of a military platoon who wanted to surrender. Anwesh’s body was buried in the forest with the help of his companions, including Sheela and Jogesh. Jogesh was later killed in an encounter with security forces on 22 February.
The police attributed Sukru’s surrender to sustained pressure from anti-Maoist operations, including drone surveillance and intelligence-based combing in the dense triple-junction forests of Kandhamal, Rayagada and Kalahandi districts.
The surrender comes amid intensified efforts to eliminate the Maoist presence in the state. Prime Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told Parliament on Monday that only 15 Maoists were still active in Odisha, and their presence was limited to border pockets in Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. He added that 96 Maoists and militia members surrendered in the past two years.
The latest surrenders include 10 Maoists led by Sanu Botham on March 11 and 11 others led by Nakul on March 15. The Sukru surrender is expected to encourage remaining cadres to take advantage of the state’s surrender and rehabilitation policy as Odisha moves towards its goal of becoming Maoist-free by March 31, officials said.
