Two Naxals surrender before police in Chhattisgarh

Two Naxals, one of them carrying a cash reward on his head, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, police said Sunday.

The cadres, identified as Hidma Mandavi and Mangu Mandavi, turned themselves in before Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava on Saturday evening, a local police official said. Hidma Mandavi, associated with the outlawed CPI (Maoist) since 1997, was working as in-charge of the supply team of rebels in the district, he said.

In 2017, he was arrested by police while procuring Maoist uniforms and explosives material and then served a three- month jail term for the offence, he said. After he was released from jail, he was elevated as in-charge of the supply team by senior cadres, he said, adding that he was carrying a reward of Rs 3 lakh on his head. The other cadre who surrendered was a member of the Chetna Natya Mandli, a cultural wing of Maoists, in Gumiyapal village, he said.

In their statements, the duo said they decided to surrender as they were "disappointed with the hollow Maoist ideology and harsh forest life". They expressed the desire to lead a meaningful life in the mainstream, the official added.

-PTI