Muttanagari Jalandar Reddy, a Naxalite with Rs 20 lakh bounty on his head surrendered on Tuesday in the presence of Andhra Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Gautam Sawang.
According to the state police department, Reddy surrendered because of lack of local public support, lack of recruitment from local adivasis (tribals), disillusionment with the Maoist ideology, extensive police outreach programmes and others.
Reddy hailed from Bhoompally village of Mirudoddi mandal in Telangana's Siddipet district and went by many aliases like Maranna, Krishna, Karuna and Sarath.
He studied up to intermediate at government junior college in Siddipet district and got attracted to Maoist ideology, leading to his joining of the naxalite ranks as a member of the radical students union in 1998.
He was a member of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee and a division secretary. He led the second assault team (of Maoists) in the Balimela ambush on June 29, 2008 in which 38 commandos of the elite Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh Police were killed. "He was also involved in five other important ambushes,19 exchanges of fire against security forces and seven murders in the AOB area. He also played the lead role in the kidnapping of IAS officer Vineel Krishna, the then Collector of Malkangiri district (of Odisha) in February 2011," the DGP said.
Krishna actively participated in raids on District Armoury at Koraput (2004), Srisailam and Sunnipenta police stations in Kurnool district,Yerragondapalem police station in Prakasam district and several other offences in the AOB area, the DGP added.
Sawang said Krishna also headed the protection squad of the top Maoist leader Akkiraju Haragopal, alias Ramakrishna.
As per the government policy, Krishna would be given the reward amount of Rs 20 lakh, besides a house site. "If required, agricultural land or support for taking up self-employment will be provided to Jalandhar Reddy," he said.
The DGP said there were eight instances of exchange of fire between police forces and Maoists in the state since 2019, in which eight outlaws, including a District Committee member, were killed and six, including a Special Zonal Committee member, were arrested.
Another 31 Maoists surrendered to the police. Sawang appealed to the Maoists to give themselves up voluntarily and join the mainstream. "Under the surrender and rehabilitation policy, we will facilitate their mainstreaming by giving the reward amount on their head and provide employment opportunities, the DGP assured.
(With IANS/ PTI inputs)