Four Naxalites worth Rs 20 lakh bounty surrender in Chhattisgarh

NEW DELHI: Four Naxalites, including three women and one man, surrendered to the authorities in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, according to the police.

As per the news agency PTI, the four individuals, who collectively carried a reward of Rs 20 lakh on their heads, turned themselves in due to disillusionment with the "hollow" and "inhuman" Maoist ideology and internal conflicts within the group, said Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai.

The individuals who surrendered are Hunga Tamo alias Tamo Surya (37), his wife Aayti Tati (35), Deve alias Vijje (25), and Madvi. Hunga Tamo and Aayti Tati were part of the regional company no. 2 of Maoists and had Rs 8 lakh rewards each. They were reportedly involved in a 2018 attack on security personnel in the forests of Pamde on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.

Deve alias Vijje, who carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh, was responsible for educating cadres about Naxalism. Madvi, with a Rs 1 lakh reward, was the head of Puvarti Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangthan, a women's wing of the Naxalites.

The surrender occurred under the 'Lon Varratu' campaign, which means "return to your home/village" in the local Gondi dialect. Launched in June 2020, the campaign has seen 872 Naxalites surrender, including 197 with bounties on their heads.

The District Reserve Guard and Bastar Fighters, units of the state police have played key roles in facilitating the surrender. Each of the surrendered Naxalites was given Rs 25,000 as assistance and will undergo further rehabilitation according to government policy, Gaurav Rai stated.

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