INSAS, .303, LMG: How a Delhi house-help got trained in combat weapons

NEW DELHI: Champa Hemrom alias Renuka, a highly trained Naxalite operative wanted in multiple cases of armed encounters with security forces, was arrested by the Delhi Police crime branch on March 4. Her past, long concealed under a false identity, ultimately caught up with her.

How Renuka became a skilled Naxalite combatant
For five years, she was trained in handling sophisticated weaponry, including SLRs, INSAS rifles, LMGs, hand grenades, and .303 rifles. She was no ordinary recruit—her skills were honed to prepare her for armed combat. Between 2018 and 2020, she actively participated in at least three encounters with Jharkhand police, alongside her company commander, Jeevan Kandula.

From child recruit to trained Naxalite
Renuka’s journey into the world of Naxalism began at the tender age of 10 when a Maoist recruiter from her village approached her family with promises of better food, care, and protection. Drawn in by these assurances, she became a part of the CPI (Maoist) extremist group led by Ramesh and underwent rigorous training in the dense Kolhan forest region.

Disappearing into Delhi’s urban landscape
In 2020, Renuka made a calculated move—she left Jharkhand and relocated to Delhi. To avoid detection, she changed her identity, taking on a new name and assuming the role of a house-help in Pitampura. For nearly four years, she maintained a low profile, living a seemingly ordinary life while allegedly serving as a sleeper cell operative.

However, her past was never far behind. Authorities, following leads on fugitive extremists, tracked her movements and established her true identity. Acting on intelligence, the crime branch of Delhi Police arrested her on March 4, bringing an end to her covert existence.

From Jharkhand’s forests to Delhi’s streets
Renuka’s arrest sheds light on the deeply entrenched Maoist recruitment networks, particularly how young children from vulnerable backgrounds are indoctrinated and trained for violent insurgency. Raised in Kudabura village in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, she was part of a farming family with three brothers and two sisters. The lure of Maoist recruiters took her down a path from which escape was nearly impossible until she attempted to disappear into the anonymity of Delhi.

While she may have evaded capture for a few years, her past finally caught up with her, bringing an end to a life built on deception. Authorities are now investigating the extent of her involvement in urban sleeper cell activities and whether she had ties with other underground operatives in the capital.