GADCHIROLI: Top People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) commander Nangsu Tumaretti, also known as Giridhar, and his wife Lalita surrendered Saturday to Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis in Gadchiroli, dealing a heavy blow to Maoist insurgency in central India.
Giridhar is an ambush and IED specialist whose efforts had fortified Maoist headquarters Abujmarh and strongholds along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.He and his wife faced around 220 criminal charges and had bounties totalling Rs 41 lakh (Giridhar Rs 25 lakh and Lalita Rs 16 lakh).
The 44-year-old Giridhar and his 35-year-old wife chose to abandon their militant activities amid enhanced security measures and sustained pressure on Maoist groups, contributing to a considerable decline in insurgent activities. Their surrender is also driven by disillusionment with the Maoist movement, which they felt had strayed from its original cause. “Giridhar was troubled by the increasing dominance of security forces, which made it inevitable that either he or his fighters would fall in the crossfire. He couldn’t come to terms with the prospect of leading his fighters to their deaths,” a senior police officer said.
Fadnavis offered a cheque of Rs 25 lakh and additional support of Rs 2 lakh under the state’s rehabilitation policy. He underscored the state’s commitment to development and connectivity in Gadchiroli, an area once perceived as remote and underdeveloped. “We need connectivity and this will be ensured by building roads, mobile towers, and bridges,” he said.
Gadchiroli located in the heart of central India’s Maoists-liberated zone of Dandakaranya is bisected by the “red corridor” of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Security forces had “liberated” this corridor in recent years – the knock-on effect of which was the peaceful LS elections this year in the region after decades.
Full report on www.toi.in
Giridhar is an ambush and IED specialist whose efforts had fortified Maoist headquarters Abujmarh and strongholds along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.He and his wife faced around 220 criminal charges and had bounties totalling Rs 41 lakh (Giridhar Rs 25 lakh and Lalita Rs 16 lakh).
The 44-year-old Giridhar and his 35-year-old wife chose to abandon their militant activities amid enhanced security measures and sustained pressure on Maoist groups, contributing to a considerable decline in insurgent activities. Their surrender is also driven by disillusionment with the Maoist movement, which they felt had strayed from its original cause. “Giridhar was troubled by the increasing dominance of security forces, which made it inevitable that either he or his fighters would fall in the crossfire. He couldn’t come to terms with the prospect of leading his fighters to their deaths,” a senior police officer said.
Fadnavis offered a cheque of Rs 25 lakh and additional support of Rs 2 lakh under the state’s rehabilitation policy. He underscored the state’s commitment to development and connectivity in Gadchiroli, an area once perceived as remote and underdeveloped. “We need connectivity and this will be ensured by building roads, mobile towers, and bridges,” he said.
Gadchiroli located in the heart of central India’s Maoists-liberated zone of Dandakaranya is bisected by the “red corridor” of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Security forces had “liberated” this corridor in recent years – the knock-on effect of which was the peaceful LS elections this year in the region after decades.
Full report on www.toi.in
