Bhubaneswar: A state committee member of Maoists carrying a ₹55-lakh bounty, Sukru, has surrendered before police in Kandhamal district along with an AK-47 rifle, Odisha DGP YB Khurania said on Tuesday. He said to be the last influential commander among the Maoist cadre. Sukru (49), a state committee member of Maoists carrying a ₹55-lakh bounty, surrendered before police in Kandhamal district along with an AK-47 rifle. (HT photo/sourced)
Four other Maoists also laid down arms with him, in what police described as a significant boost to ongoing efforts to curb Maoist activities in the state.
Sukru, a native of Malkangiri district, was considered the most senior active Maoist in Odisha and was leading a group of around 13 cadres, mostly from Chhattisgarh, operating in Kandhamal. Khurania said he had recently been running a new outfit named “Eighth Company” to continue Maoist activities in the region.
Officials said Sukru was opposed to the trend of Maoist cadres surrendering to the authorities. In January this year, he allegedly killed his junior Anwesh, a divisional committee member and military platoon commander who wanted to surrender. Anwesh’s body was buried in the forest with the help of associates, including Shila and Jogesh. Jogesh was later killed in an encounter with security forces on February 22.
Police attributed Sukru’s surrender to sustained pressure from anti-Maoist operations, including drone surveillance and intelligence-based combing in the dense tri-junction forests of Kandhamal, Rayagada and Kalahandi districts.
The surrender comes amid stepped-up efforts to eliminate Maoist presence in the state. Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday informed the Assembly that only 15 Maoists remain active in Odisha, with their presence confined to border pockets of Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. He said 96 Maoists and militia members had surrendered in the past two years.
Recent surrenders include 10 Maoists led by Sanu Pottam on March 11 and 11 others led by Nakul on March 15. Officials said Sukru’s surrender is expected to encourage remaining cadres to avail the state’s surrender and rehabilitation policy as Odisha moves towards its target of becoming Maoist-free by March 31.