Maharashtra: 2 Naxalite with combined bounty of Rs 8 lakh surrender in Gadchiroli

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Two Naxalites carrying a combined bounty of Rs 8 lakh surrendered before the security forces in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, police said on Saturday, PTI reported.

As per PTI, Ramasu Poyam also known as Narsingh (55), a native of Gadchiroli, and Ramesh Kunjam known as Govind (25), a native of Narayanpur in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, surrendered before the Gadchiroli police and the Central Reserve Police Force on Friday, police stated in a release.

According to the statement, Poyam, who had a Rs 6 lakh bounty, was recruited as a member of the Tipagadh LOS in 1992 and has been the area committee member (ACM) for Kutul and Nelnar LOS since 2010.

Poyam has 12 cases to his name, including six encounters, five murders and an offence of dacoity, police said, PTI reported.

In 2019, Kunjam joined the militia with a bounty of Rs 2 lakh. He joined the Kutul LOS in 2021 after being recruited as a member of the Chetna Natya Manch (CNM) in 2020, they said.

The duo surrendered due to the Gadchiroli police's aggressive crackdown on Maoist activities in the area. Their family members also persuaded them to lay down arms following the arrest of their colleagues, PTI reported.

The men will receive Rs 4.5 lakh each for rehabilitation as announced by the Centre and Maharashtra government.

Gadchiroli police claimed that a huge number of members of the banned CPI (Maoist) were being lured by the state government's surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy, and to date, 680 active Maoists have surrendered.

As many as 20 Maoist loyalists surrendered this year itself. Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police, Neelotpal, has assured that necessary assistance would be provided to those willing to surrender and join the mainstream society, PTI reported.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis introduces bill to prevent ‘urban naxal'

The Maharashtra government has tabled a bill on December 18, to legislate a law to prevent the unlawful activities of the ‘Urban Naxals' more effectively.

The bill, the Maharashtra Special Public Security Act, 2024, was put up for the state legislature's perusal. It was also sent to a joint select committee for scrutiny and feedback was sought from members of civil society who want to discuss the matter.

Some Opposition members wanted to know why a new Act was needed when existing laws had sufficient powers to tackle extremism. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said states where the new Act was in force had seen good results.

According to the CM, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha had enacted the Public Security Acts to more effectively prevent the unlawful activities of Maoist bodies and 48 banned frontal organisations. In the absence of a similar law in Maharashtra, such organisations are active in the state, Fadnavis stated.

(With PTI inputs)