Female Maoist among 35 militia members who surrendered in ASR district

ASR district: In a major success for the Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district, a woman Maoist and 34 active armed militia members surrendered before the ASR district police in Paderu town on Wednesday. The police seized some explosives, landmines, and a revolver from the surrendered rebels.

The ASR district is a Maoist stronghold. All those who surrendered hail from the remote areas of Pedabayalu and Munchingiput mandals in ASR district and along the Andhra-Odisha border (AOB) which has seen Maoist presence.

ASR district police chief S. Satish Kumar said the woman Maoist, Killo Indu alias Bharati, is from Jadiguda village under Pedabayalu mandal and she is a member of Pedabayalu Area Committee of the banned Maoist Party. Indu was involved in four offences, including murder and exchange of fire with security personnel, and was carrying a cash reward of Rs. 1 lakh on her head.

Many of those who surrendered before the police on Wednesday were involved in incidents of exchange of fire with security forces, arson, killing of civilians, hoisting of black flags, burning of vehicles, supplying food and logistics to Maoists, passing information about the movement of security forces, threatening and assaulting innocent people, the police added.

Explaining the reasons for the surrender, Mr. Kumar said a sea of change has taken place in the remote areas of the ASR district and AOB in the last few years.

The surrendered rebels said they want to live a peaceful life with family members in the coming days. They also said that most of the Maoist leaders had either surrendered or been arrested and the movement has been declining.