Bhubaneswar, Aug 30: Two hardcore Maoists, including a woman, with a cumulative bounty of Rs 7 lakh on their heads surrendered before the Odisha Police at Bargarh on Friday.

The Maoists surrendered before Himansu Kumar Lal, Inspector General of Police (Northern Range), and Prahalad Sahai Meena, Bargarh District Superintendent of Police.

The woman Maoist cadre has been identified as Puja Tati (35) from Parnal village in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. She worked as the area committee member (ACM) and platoon commander of the Baragarh Local Organising Squad (LOS), operating in the Balangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund (BBM) division for the banned outfit CPI (Maoist).

“Puja Tati was active in the Gandhamardan reserve forest area since 2010. She was actively trying to expand Maoist activities in Bargarh and Balangir districts, and carried a cash reward of Rs 4 lakh,” said sources in Odisha Police.

The other Maoist has been identified as Saitu Padam alias Raghu from Tolad village in Chhattisgarh's Sukuma district. He also operated as an area committee member of the Bolangir Local Organising Squad under the BBM division for CPI (Maoist).

Saitu was active in the Gandhamardan reserve forest area from 2012 and carried a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh.

Both the surrendered Maoist cadres were involved in several heinous crimes, including the killing of Raj Kishore Panda of Telenpali, and Krushna Punji, a ward member of Khuripani in Khaparakhol, on August 14, 2011, and November 14, 2011, respectively.

The duo was also involved in the killing of Bijay Sahoo of Salepalli village in Bargarh district on March 17, 2018.

The duo was also involved in the burning of Kendu leaf godowns in under the Khaparakhol police station area in Balangir.

They laid down their arms after reportedly getting disillusioned with the banned CPI (Maoist).

--IANS

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