A total 88 Maoist supporters and militiamen surrendered to the police in Malkangiri district in the midst of a bandh called by the left wing extremists to protest against "fake and stage managed" laying down of arms.
The Maoist supporters, who belong to Bodaliguda village in Kalimela area, surrendered here in the presence of Malkangiri superintendent of police Mitrabhany Mohapatra, police said.
A senior police official said the fresh surrender came as a severe blow to the LWEs and a major boost to the anti-Maoist operation by the security forces in the region.
Over 700 supporters of Maoists have surrendered to police during the past one month in Malkangiri, police said, adding, around 40 Maoists have surrendered in the district this year.
Maoist leader Sunadhar, the brain behind the killing of several top Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh in May, 2013, was killed along with two of his body guards in Malkangiri district in an encounter with security forces on September 19.
Meanwhile, normal life was affected in some pockets of the southern Odisha district due to a bandh called by the ultras in protest against the surrender of their supporters which they termed as "fake and stage managed".
