A hardcore woman Maoist with a bounty on her head, who was wanted for involvement in 15 encounters, an incident of arson and four major offences, surrendered before the Gadchiroli police in eastern Maharashtra.
Identifying the surrendered Maoist as Anju Asaram Achala, a resident of Motha Zalia in Dhanora tehsil of Gadchiroli district with various aliases like Shashikala, Guni and Zuri (30), the police said that she had joined Tipagad Naxal Dhalam in 2006 as member and gone on to become the Tipagad Area Committee Member.
According to Gadchiroli police, she was personally involved in 20 crimes including 15 encounters. The Maharashtra Government had announced `6 lakh as bounty against her arrest.
With her surrender, the total number of Maoists who have surrendered before the Gadchiroli police between 2019 and 2021 has gone up to 39. Those surrendered four Divisional Committee Members (DVCM), two Dalam Commanders, three Dept. Commanders, 29 Dalam Members and one Jan Militia Member
A senior Gadchiroli police official said that “frustrated and fed up with life besieged with violence, Maoists were getting “attracted” to the surrender policy announced by the Maharashtra Government. The policy involves a rehabilitation programme.
Apart from intensified anti-Naxal operations, the Gadchiroli police undertake various kinds of civic action programmes like Janjagran melawas, Rozgar melawas, Women Melawas and Village Visitations (Grambhet), “which deeply impact the minds of common people”. Under the Grambhet programme, senior police officers visit the homes of relatives of Maoists who can be persuaded to abdicate violence. “These activities contributed to the surrender of Anju Achala,” the police official said.
“Simultaneously, we build a constant pressure upon the Naxalites to surrender before the police,” the official said.
At a rehabilitation programme organised for the surrendered Maoists at “Navjeevan Vasahat” (colony), Gadchiroli’s Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal, said that facilities like, electrification, water, gotul, sanitization, etc. Would be made available with the above “Navjeevan Vasahat”. The employment would be provided to the surrendered naxalites.
In call to Maoists in the area to surrender, Goyal has also said that all necessary assistance would be provided to those who were willing to surrender and join the mainstream of the society, also willing to live in the ways of democracy.
He has said that stringent action would be taken against all those elements who stand in the way of development of the district.