Bhubaneswar: A Maoist couple from Chhattisgarh, active in the Kandhamal region for the past several years, surrendered before the Odisha Police on Sunday.
The duo has been identified as Unga Kalmu alias Kishore (25) and his wife Mase Madvi (22), both residents of Chhattisgarh.
According to an official press release, the couple surrendered before Niti Shekhar, IGP, Southern Range, Berhampur, and Kandhamal SP Harisha B.C., at the District Police Office in Phulbani. Police said the two cadres were tasked with reactivating the North–South Maoist corridor from Jharkhand to Chhattisgarh through south-central Odisha. They had been associated with the CPI (Maoist) since 2018 and were involved in several violent incidents in both Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
Police said the intensified Anti-Naxalite Operations across interior pockets of Kandhamal had put pressure on the group. The couple reportedly became disillusioned with the Maoist organisation due to rampant unethical practices, including sexual harassment of female cadres, extortion, forced recruitment of minors through false propaganda, and the rude behaviour of senior leaders. They were also opposed to Maoist support for cannabis cultivation, disruption of electoral processes, and other illegal activities. The couple said they were drawn towards government welfare measures aimed at tribal development.
The Kandhamal SP had earlier assured them, through posters and letters, of full support under the Odisha Government’s Surrender and Rehabilitation Scheme. The scheme offers financial assistance, homestead land, housing support, educational aid, vocational training with monthly stipend, and avenues for reintegration into mainstream society. This year, several Maoist cadres have been neutralised either by surrender or security operations.
Appealing to other cadres to return to the mainstream, the Kandhamal SP said, “We urge all misguided cadres to surrender and lead a peaceful life. The surrender policy of the Odisha Government will help them rebuild their future.”
Welcoming the surrendered couple, IGP Niti Shekhar called upon Maoists to abandon violence and join the development process. He said Anti-Maoist operations would continue to be intensified until the menace is fully eradicated from the state.
