In one of the biggest surrenders, 15 Naxals, including seven women, surrendered before the police on Sunday in Gadchiroli on Maharashtra Day. The Naxals also include a commander and two deputy commanders.
The 15 Naxals had expressed interest in surrendering before the police in the last week and in a function held at police headquarters ground in Gadchiroli surrendered before home minister R.R. Patil on Sunday.
Suryam Gawde, 26, a commander since 2005 was also a secretary in the Gomani area committee. The two deputy commanders — Sukhdev Vadde, 26 and Savita Dhaniram, 23, have been active since 2004.
The Naxals have cited various reasons for their surrender. “They have said that they have now realised how they were brainwashed into Naxalism. They also said that they were subjected to both physical and mental torture by their senior cadres. Some of them were also fed-up of always being at risk of getting killed by the police and moving in the jungle in severe climatic conditions without food for several days,” said inspector Shriganesh Kangude from Gadchiroli.
One of the women Naxals, the police said, alleged that the senior cadre used them as pawns only to carry out violence. She went on to add that the senior members would just extort money by terrorising people.
According to Mr Kangude, the police, after verifying their credentials would then arrange for the benefits given to the Naxals who surrender.
The surrender comes a few days after Mahasrashtra’s anti-terrorism squad arrested two women Naxals from Thane. One of the women Angela Ramtake belonged to a senior cadre.