22 Naxalites, including six with Rs 11 lakh bounty, surrender in Bijapur

Twenty-two Naxalites, including six carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 11 lakh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Sunday, a police official said.

Of these, Ayatu Punem, Pandu Kunjam, Kosi Tamo, Sona Kunjam and Lingesh Padam carried rewards of Rs 2 lakh each of their heads, while the amount was Rs 1 lakh for Tibruram Madvi, he said.  "Punem was active as Platoon Number 1 member under the Andhra-Odisha-Border (AOB) division of the outlawed Maoists outfit. Pandu and Tamo were Platoon Number 9 and 10 party members, respectively.  Sona was a Platoon party member under the Telangana State Committee of the Naxal organization," he said. "Madvi was Jantana Sarkar head while Lakhma Kadti was Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Majdoor Sangathan (DAKMS) president.  The others were lower rung members," he added. So far this year, 107 Maoists have laid down arms, 82 ultras have been gunned down and 143 Naxalites have been apprehended in Bijapur, the official informed.  "They decried the inhuman and hollow Maoist ideology and hailed the state government's Naxalism elimination policy as well as the police's rehabilitation drive. They will get benefits as per the government's surrender and rehabilitation policy," he said.