Chaibasa: Top Maoists lay down arms to join social mainstream

Mail News Service

Chaibasa, March 2: In a major breakthrough for Jharkhand police, top zonal commander of Communist Party of India (Maoist) Suresh Singh Munda laid down arms with the outfit area commander Lodro Lohra alias Subhas in the presence of senior police officials in Ranchi.

The former Maoists were welcomed with bouquets by Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal and SP Ajay Linda on their arrival in Chaibasa.

According to police, Munda carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head and was wanted by Ranchi and Kolhan police in 67 cases. Hailing from Bundu in Ranchi, he was promoted as the zonal commander in the year 2015. His associate Lohra, a native of Arki, Khunti, carried a reward of Rs 2 lakh. He was wanted in 54 cases, cops said.

 “This is a major achievement for the police. Munda is a prized catch as he was a senior functionary of CPI (Maoist). He was the man behind increased Maoist activities in Kolhan,” said IG cum police spokesperson Amol Venukant Homkar.

Homkar said the joint teams of Chaibasa police and CRPF worked hard to secure the surrender of the top Maoist rebels and persuade them to lay down their arms under Nai Disha, the state government’s surrender policy. “Jharkhand police has been running an active campaign in all the districts and blocks to create public awareness on Maoist violence against rebels. The police department is also reaching out to the family of rebels and convincing them to surrender and avail the benefits of government schemes. At the same time, we are also running combing operations on a regular basis. All this has proved fruitful,” said Homkar.

Mittal said the senior citizens in the family of the rebels, if any, would immediately get the benefits of government pension scheme.

Munda, speaking to reporters after surrender, said, “I was lured away from my house by the dreaded Maoist leader Kundan Pahan when I was just six year old way back in 1998. Pahan had surrendered before police a year ago.

Lodro said he had joined the Maoist outfit in 2010.

“Maoists don’t have any ideology as such and are actually against the people and their development. This is why I chose to leave the outfit to start a new life. I have understood that I won’t get anything by risking my life in the jungles fighting against the security forces. I too, want to do something positive for the society,” said Munda.