Bhubaneswar/Phulbani, March 24 Sukru, the most wanted Maoist in Odisha, who had a reward of Rs 55 lakh on his head, surrendered to the police in the Kandhamal district on Tuesday along with four other cadres, DGP YB Khurania said.
Sukru, who was a state committee member of the CPI(Maoist), surrendered with an AK-47 rifle. His associates also laid down four guns during the surrender, he said.
Sukru (49), a native of the Malkangiri district, was considered one of the last remaining Maoist leaders active in the state, the DGP said, adding that he was leading a small group of around 13 cadres.
The surrender came as the Centre's March 31 deadline to end Left-Wing Extremism approached.
Security forces, comprising the Special Operations Group (SOG), CRPF, District Voluntary Force and BSF, had intensified anti-Naxal operations at the tri-junction of the Kandhamal, Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, where Sukru and his associates were hiding.
The security forces used modern technology like drones and satellite pictures to locate the Maoist group in the dense forests in the tri-junction areas, officials said.
Police sources said that Sukru was leading a group of around 13 cadres, of which five surrendered on Tuesday. There are no active Odia members in the CPI(Maoist) now, an official said.
Kandhamal SP Harish BC, who led the operation, said that the police were recording the statements of Sukru and his associates in the presence of ADG (anti-naxal operation), Sanjeeb Panda.
"With the surrender of Sukru, the number of active Maoists in Odisha is now in the single digit. I appeal to the remaining red rebels to surrender soon and take advantage of the state government's surrender and rehabilitation policy," Panda said.
Responding to a question, he said that sustained operations at the ground level and the state government's lucrative surrender and rehabilitation policy encouraged Sukru and others to lay down their arms.
A senior police officer said that Sukru had been under police surveillance since the killing of a fellow cadre, Anwesh alias Renu, in January this year. His body was buried in a forest in Kandhamal. He was allegedly killed by Sukru to prevent him from surrendering.
However, Sukru himself came forward to surrender in the wake of pressure from his family and sustained anti-Maoist operations in his hideouts, police sources said, adding that his surrender is also opposed by the remaining armed members of the CPI(Maoist).
On Monday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the Assembly that the number of active Maoists in Odisha has declined from 40 to 15 within a month.
Majhi said that while only Kandhamal district is currently classified as LWE-affected, eight other districts — Boudh, Balangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Rayagada — are listed as "legacy and thrust" districts.
Police sources said that with the surrender of five Maoists, including Sukru in Kandhamal, a total of 101 Maoists and militia members have surrendered in Odisha over the past two years.