Gadchiroli (Maharashtra): A wanted woman Maoist from Chhattisgarh, carrying a bounty of Rs 2 lakh laid down arms before the Maharashtra Police at the height of the state election season, a senior official said here on Saturday.
She has been identified as Laxmi Bande Majji, hailing from Bedre village in Bhairamgarh of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, said Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Neelotpal.
Majji, 42, who did odd chores like supplying meals to Maoists hiding in forests for years, later joined the ‘Red movement’ in 2017.
She became a member of the Bhamragad and Indravati Area Committee’s Chetan Natya Manch, and was active, preparing meals for the outlaws and other jobs, till she decided to surrender on Saturday.
The Maharashtra government had announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for her and police said that she was involved in many unlawful activities for which further investigations are on, said Neelotpal.
She has cited multiple reasons for her surrender, including the brutalities perpetrated by the Maoist commanders, lack of privacy for married couples, exploiting tribals and poor for their vested interest, killing off innocents labelling them as police informers, indulging in extortion activities, women getting killed while the male members used to flee during encounters with the law-enforcers, etc.
Post-surrender, the first since the Maharashtra Assembly elections were announced last month, Majji will be entitled to full rehabilitation and other policies plus Rs 4.50 lakh reward by the Centre and state government, to enable her to join the social mainstream.
Neelotpal said that from January 2022 till date, at least 30 rebels, including several women and couples have opted to embrace peace and lead a normal life.
Since the state comeback policy was implemented in 2005 to wean them out of violence, a total of 678 Maoists have surrendered to the security forces and are leading ordinary lives after full rehabilitation.
(IANS)
