Responding to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's call, a hardcore Maoist couple against whom several cases of murder and violence including the deadly attack on a paramilitary camp in Silda were pending surrendered on Thursday before the police.
The wanted top Maoists, Jagari Baskey(26) and her husband Rajaram Soren(34) were also presented before the Trinamool Congress supremo, who welcomed their decision and promised that the West Bengal government would take care of those who would surrender and eschew violence.
The couple, who were accompanied by their four-year-old son Bahadur, surrendered before the IG (IB) O P Gupta at the state secretariat.
Officials said this is for the first time any Naxal has surrendered at the Writers' Building, housing the secretariat.
The dreaded duo were involved in several incidents of ambush on security camps and villagers in Purulia, Bankura, and West Midnapore district.
The couple, dressed in Army fatigues, first contacted SP, Purulia. The SP then contacted Gupta in Kolkata. Thereafter the two were brought to the Writers' Building and presented before the Chief Minister. The couple said they had decided to surrender in response to the chief minister's call to return to the mainstream, lay down arms and lead a normal life taking advantage of the government's package.
Welcoming the decision, an elated Banerjee said, "I am again calling my brothers and sisters, who have been misguided and have taken up arms, to surrender to take advantage of government's economic package and lead a normal life."
Jagari was involved in the Silda EFR camp attack in which 21 personnel of the state's paramilitary force were killed in February last year.
The surrender took place amid intensification of joint operations against Naxals on Thursday in junglemahal, round-the-clock patrols in Purulia district and combing of some areas in West Midnapore district.