Bhubaneswar: A notorious Maoist leader, Bijay Punem, alias Ajay, from the Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagavali (BGN) Division, surrendered before the Rayagada district Superintendent of Police (SP) today.
As per reports, Vijay was a member of the BGN Division’s Ghumsar Area Committee and was wanted in multiple cases and had a reward of Rs 4 lakh on his head.
Hailing from Husur police station area in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, Vijay surrendered with a pistol and eight rounds of ammunition. He was involved in several Maoist-related incidents, including gunfights with security forces in Kandhamal district and Chhattisgarh.
Vijay joined the CPI (Maoist) in 2009. After receiving initial training, he worked as a personal security guard for Modem Balakrishna alias Manoj. In 2014, he was promoted from party member to Area Commander Member (ACM) and worked for the BGN Division. Later, in 2024, he came to Odisha and took leadership of the Ghumsar Area Committee under the BGN Division.
However, he faced various difficulties, including mental torture, food and water scarcity, and regular operations by security forces. He also faced language barriers and differences within the Maoist camp, which led him to decide to surrender.
It is pertinent to mention that the Odisha government’s Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy has been instrumental in encouraging ultras to give up violence and join the mainstream. Under this policy, surrendered Maoists receive financial assistance, housing support, education, and vocational training to help them become self-reliant.
