Naxal couple carrying bounty of Rs 13 lakh surrender in C'garh

A naxal couple, collectively carrying a reward of Rs 13 lakh and allegedly handling Maoists' urban network in Nagpur in Maharashtra, surrendered Wednesday in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district, police said.

The ultras Nandu Devaji Behade and his wife Sati alias Kamla Irpa Kumeti were carrying rewards of Rs 8 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively, a senior police officer said.

"The duo were trusted aides of in-charge of Maoists' Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh (MMC)zone Dipak alias Milind Teltumbade," Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) Ratanlal Dangi told PTI.

He said the couple turned themselves in before police "after realising that naxals were harassing tribals and poor people".

Behade, who also goes with moniker Vivek, used to carry an AK 47 rifle while moving in forests, the IG said.

He had joined the outlawed CPI (Maoists) while studying in Nagpur in 2004, after participating in several students' protests, the officer said.

"Since then, he served at various capacities in the over-ground and underground networks of ultras in neighbouring Maharashtra," Dangi said.

In 2017, Behade was made the area committee secretary of Maoists' central committee and coordination committee, and was sent to Nagpur to look after the urban network, the IG said.

On Sati's role, the IG said she became associated with the banned outfit in 2009. "In 2018, she was inducted as a member into the group of her husband," he added.

The couple was involved in at least nine violent incidents, including attacking police teams and killings, on the border between Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, the IG said.

"In their statements, the surrendered naxals cited that senior Maoist leaders are keeping cadres from Chhattisgarh and Gadchiroli in the lower rung and exploiting them. They also said senior cadres exploited tribals and poor people," Dangi said.

Behade and Sati were given an encouragement amount of Rs 10,000 each, he said, adding that they will be given assistance as per the Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy of the Chhattisgarh government.