Maoist leader gives up arms in Jharkhand

A Maoist leader, carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head, laid down his arms on Thursday in Jharkhand's Giridih district, a senior police officer said here.

Balbir Mahato, who also went by names Pravir, Charkha and Barati Mahato, turned himself in before Deputy Inspector General of Police (Hazaribagh Range) Pankaj Kamboj, Giridih Superintendent of Police (SP) Surendra Jha, CRPF officer Anil Sharma and other officers.

Mahato, a member of Jharkhand-Bihar special committee of the CPI (Maoist), hails from Nawadih village in Giridih's Pirtand block, the SP said.

He was wanted in the killing of Pakur SP Amarjit Balihar in 2013, attacks on Giridih prison van and police officers at Chaibasa in West Singhbhum district among two dozen other cases, he added.

The DIG said that Mahato was handed over a cheque of Rs 2 lakh as part of the state's rehabilitation programme.

"After Balbir's family was apprised of the state government's policy for surrendered Maoists, he turned himself in," the DIG said, adding that naxalites who are "not willing to surrender should be prepared to face bullets".