Maoist with Rs 4 lakh bounty surrenders in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, May 27 A hardcore member of the banned CPI(Maoist) carrying a Rs 4 lakh reward on his head surrendered before the Superintendent of Police, Rayagada district, on Tuesday.

The surrendered red ultra, Bijaya Punem alias Ajay, hails from Batigudem village under Husur police limits in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.

He is an Area Committee Member (ACM) under the "Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagabali" (BGN) division of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Ajay joined the CPI(Maoist) organisation in 2009, and after completion of his preliminary training, he was attached to the security and protection team of top Maoist leader Modem Balakrishna alias Manoj, a Central Committee Member (CCM).

Ajay was later promoted from party member to the rank of ACM in 2014. After being promoted to the rank of ACM, he continued working as the Gunman of Manoj.

In 2023, he was transferred to the BGN Division and started working in the Ghumsar Area Committee of the BGN Division from January 2024.

He was active in the Nuapada- Kalahandi-Boudh-Malkangiri-Koraput-Rayagada-Kandhamal areas of the state during 2014-2024.

The surrendered Maoist leader is suspected to be involved in several incidents of violent activities, including the killing of a civilian in Kandhamal on May 26, 2024, several incidents of exchange of fire with police personnel in Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Ajay was carrying a cash reward of Rs 4 lakh, which was announced by the Odisha government.

On Tuesday, he surrendered along with a 9mm pistol, eight rounds of live ammunition and one walkie-talkie.

Police sources claimed that he quit the banned outfit citing wrong ideology of CPI(Maoists) cadres, rude and abnormal behaviour of the top leadership, frequent operations by security forces in their operating areas, insufficient food, water and cloth, tough terrain in Odisha, distance from native place, language problem and no recruitment and active support from public in and around their jurisdiction area.

The party members of CPI(Maoist) are being regularly urged by the police to give up violence and avail the benefits provided under the surrender and rehabilitation policy of the Government of Odisha.

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