Two Naxalites, collectively carrying a bounty of Rs 8 lakh, surrendered to security forces in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, officials announced on Saturday. Ramasu Poyam alias Narsingh (55), a Gadchiroli resident, and Ramesh Kunjam alias Govind (25), from Narayanpur in neighboring Chhattisgarh, turned themselves in to the Gadchiroli police and the Central Reserve Police Force on Friday, according to a police statement.
Poyam, who had a bounty of Rs 6 lakh on his head, was recruited as a member of the Tipagadh LOS in 1992. Since 2010, he had been serving as the area committee member (ACM) for the Kutul and Nelnar LOS, the statement added. According to the police, Poyam has 12 cases to his name, including six encounters, five murders and an offence of dacoity.
Kunjam, with a Rs 2 lakh bounty on his head, joined as a militia member in 2019. He was later recruited into the Chetna Natya Manch (CNM) in 2020 and became a member of the Kutul LOS in 2021, according to officials. The duo decided to surrender following the Gadchiroli police's intensified crackdown on Maoist activities. Additionally, their family members urged them to lay down their arms after the arrest of their associates.
The men will receive Rs 4.5 lakh each for rehabilitation as declared by the Centre and Maharashtra government.