Gadchiroli: Two hardcore women Maoists, carrying a collective reward of Rs 10 lakh on their heads and facing more than 50 criminal cases, surrendered before security forces in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra Wednesday, police said.
Shamala Pudo alias Leela (36) and Kajal Vadde alias Limmi (24) surrendered before Gadchiroli police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, said a release issued by the office of the district superintendent of police (SP).
According to the release, Pudo served as a “section commander” in the Maoist outfit, while Vadde was a member of the Bhamaragad LOS (Local Organisation Squad). Both are residents of Gadchiroli, a Naxal-hit district in eastern Maharashtra.
As many as 45 criminal cases have been registered against Pudo, including 21 related to encounters with security forces and half a dozen linked to arson incidents. Eight cases have been registered against Vadde of which four were related to gunfights and one arson, said the release.
They carried a total reward of Rs 10 lakh on their heads, it said.
After surrendering, Pudo will receive Rs 5.5 lakh and Vadde Rs 4.5 lakh, the reward money declared by the Centre and the Maharashtra government on them, for rehabilitation, informed the police.
As many as 46 hardcore Maoists have surrendered before the Gadchiroli police since 2022. This was due to intense anti-Maoist operations conducted by the police and opportunity provided by the state government for Naxals to give up the path of violence and lead a respectful life, they said.
In the first week of 2025 alone, 13 Maoist cadres turned themselves in before authorities. Of these, 11 senior cadres surrendered before Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis January 1, the police added.
Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, visited Gadchiroli in the Vidarbha region on the New Year day, and said the district was on his government’s priority list for development.
During the visit, the CM inaugurated the 32-km-long Gatta-Gardewada-Wangeturi road and bus services of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on Wangeturi-Gardewada-Gatta-Aheri route in the district.
PTI