BHUBANESWAR /BERHAMPUR: Two Naxals from Chhattisgarh, carrying cash rewards on their heads, surrendered before Rayagada SP Vivekanand Sharma on Wednesday.
The cadre, Manku Oyam alias Jayaram and Lachu Madkam alias Biswanath of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, turned themselves in due to increasing pressure of the anti-Naxal operations, Sharma said.
Oyam was carrying a cash reward of Rs 4 lakh on his head. He had joined Sunabeda area committee of Mainpur-Nuapada division of banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) organisation as a party member in 2011. After being promoted to the rank of area committee member (ACM), Oyam was transferred to Kalahandi local organisation squad in May 2018.
He was active in Kalahandi squad of Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagabali (BGN) division till surrendering before the police. Police suspect that Oyam was involved in Turka exchange of fire in Kalahandi district in August 2019 and killing of a civilian Bhima Dora in July 2019, among others.
Similarly, Madkam was carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head. He had joined Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division in April 2015.
He was active in different area committees and local squads under KKBN and BGN divisions. Madkam was also active in Kalahandi squad of BGN division till surrendering before the police.
Madkam was allegedly involved in setting ablaze construction equipment in Kandhamal’s Balumaha in March 2018, setting on fire polling vehicles and electronic voting machines near Ribilada in Kandhamal during general elections in April 2019, among others.
Police said the two ultras laid down their arms due to reasons like increasing pressure of security operations, language barrier, tough terrain in the State. They had to cover large areas due to less members in their cadres and others.
"The two ultras have revealed that they were facing a language barrier. The local members are less than 10 per cent and the ultras from Chhattisgarh are active here. This shows locals are not in favour of supporting the Left Wing Extremism in the State," said a senior officer of Odisha Police.
In 2020, 21 Naxals had surrendered before Odisha Police, while this year three have laid down their arms so far.