Gudsa Usendi, one of the top most leaders of outlawed CPI(Maoists) on Thursday formally surrendered before the Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police B Prasad Rao in Hyderabad.
Along with Usendi, whose real name is Gumudavelli Venkatkrishna Prasad, his wife Santhoshi also surrendered. Usendi, who had spent 30 years underground playing a key role in the armed movement, surprised everybody by choosing to surrender before the Andhra Pradesh Police.
DGP Prasad Rao said that the Maoist couple surrendered because of ill health.
However, informed sources said that Usendi, based in Dandakarniya forest of Chhattisgarh, was under tremendous pressure from Chhattisgarh Police as well as the security forces, specially after the May 25 massacre of 27 people, including several top State Congress leaders in Bastar.
Moreover, like most of the other top Maoist leaders, Gudsa Usendi also hails from Andhra Pradesh and preferred to surrender before the AP Police rather than Chattisgarh.
“Another reason could be the fact that Andhra Pradesh Government offers a more generous rehabilitation package to the surrendered Maoists,” a senior police official said.
53-year-old Usendi, apart from holding many other responsibilities, also played the role of the organisation spokesperson in Dandakaraniya.
Reports of Usendi’s surrender were doing rounds since Wednesday. Police sources said that Usendi was in custody since Tuesday night and was brought before the media on Thursday after completion of his debriefing by the top police and intelligence officials.