Malkangiri: More than 900 Maoist supporters surrendered before police in Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Tuesday.
According to sources, total 907 Maoist supporters from around the villages under Chitrakonda police station and some villages across the border in Andhra Pradesh submitted before district SP Nitish Badhwani at a function organised at Ghanabeda in Swabhiman Anchal.
The surrendered Maoist supporters included 467 militia members of the banned outfit. Many of them were involved in cases of murder of civilians, fire exchange with security forces, the sources said.
Speaking at the meeting, the surrendered villagers said they were misled by the Maoist ideologies. Though they wanted to quit the outfit due to brutal and violent activities of the cadres, they forced to continue.
However, persistent operations by the security forces and welfare projects of the state government led to development of the area. With the Maoists winding up their camps and retreating from Swabhiman Anchal, the villagers decided to surrender and return to the main stream of the society.
The SP assured the surrendered people of ensuring the incentive package announced by the government and helping them lead a peaceful life with the support of the administration.
