In a significant development, five Maoists, including four women, surrendered before Additional SP, Bonai, RB Panigrahi, at the K Bolanga police station in Sundargarh district on Friday.
Panigrahi said the Red rebels who gave up arms are Sukramani Tarkat alias Sunita of Tirliposhi, Mamata Bodra and Chaitu Tarkata of Nauagao, Jareikela, and Merry Munda and Gouri Naik of Kiriburu.
Sukramani was a cadre Maoist carrying an award of Rs one lakh on her head.
These Maoists had been supplied with 303 rifles. Being frustrated and tortured in Maoist camp, they left the camp, they said.
Sukramani had joined the Maoist camp in 2009 and left it in 2013. Mamata, who was engaged in entertainment activities in Maoist camp, had joined it in 2006 and left in 2010. Chaitu, who had joined the camp in 2005 and had been involved in various heinous crimes in the Odisha-Jharkhand border, left the camp in 2006. Merry had joined the Maoists in 2009 and left it in 2012.
Gouri, who was discharging the work of a cook, had joined the camp in 2010, left it 2012 after the Thalokobad firing.
After leaving the Maoist camp, they all had been leading hide and sick life. Being attracted by the move of police under Rourkela SP A Singh, they decided to come to the social mainstream and surrendered, said Panigrahi.
On the basis of the information provided by these former Maoists, the police can go ahead with its mission to curb the Maoist activities in the area, said a confident Panigrahi.
It may be noted that a couple of weeks ago, four Maoists had surrendered before the Rourkela SP.