Two Naxalites whose squad is looking after the expansion of Maoist activities in a new zone surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district, police said on Thursday. Diwakar alias Kishan and Deve alias Laxmi were allegedly involved in several Naxalite-related incidents along the Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh border and carried cash rewards on their heads in both states, Kabirdham Superintendent of Police Shalabh Sinha said. The two were rounded up on May 9 from a forest close to Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh. They formally surrendered to the police on Wednesday.
When they were caught, they were ill and their Covid-19 test came positive. After recovering in a Covid care centre, the two expressed their readiness to support the police and give up violence, Sinha said. Kishan carried a reward of Rs 8 on his head in Chhattisgarh and Rs 5 lakh in Madhya Pradesh, the officer said. Similarly, Deve carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh in Chhattisgarh and Rs 5 lakh in Madhya Pradesh. Based on inputs provide by the two, police recovered Rs 10 lakh cash, a cooker bomb, 430 live cartridges, 2 kg gun powder, Maoist literature, a wireless set, a walkie-talkie, a mobile phone, a solar plate, a colour printer, medicines, Maoist uniform and items of daily use which were hidden.