Kolkata, Oct. 23 -- In a significant breakthrough for counter-insurgency operations, a most-wanted Maoist couple surrendered before Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand at Lalbazar on Friday.
The surrendered extremists, identified as Mangal, a resident of Salboni in West Midnapore, and his wife Malati, a resident of Gopiballabhpur in Jhargram, had substantial bounties announced for their arrest.
Upon laying down their arms, the couple handed over a cache of sophisticated weaponry to the police, including one AK-47 rifle, an INSAS rifle, and a substantial quantity of ammunition. Mangal was a high-ranking cadre who previously served as a close associate to the top Maoist leader Kishanji. While both belong to Bengal, sources confirmed that their subversive operations were primarily restricted to the dense Saranda and Dalma forest regions of neighbouring Jharkhand.
Speaking to the media, Nand stated that relentless operations by security forces in the Saranda region had crippled the logistics of the extremist group, making it exceptionally difficult for cadres to sustain their activities. Mangal had gone to Jharkhand after 2011-12. Before that, he had joined the Maoist organisation in 2010. At that time, the people's committee was active in Salboni. It was also informed by the police that the duo was mainly active in the Saranda area. There are about 6-7 cases pending against Mangal in Jharkhand.
The Jharkhand Police had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for Mangal's arrest, while Malati was carrying a Rs 2 lakh bounty.
Mangal said: "It is not possible to change society through armed struggle so we want to leave that path and return to the mainstream of society. That is why we came here and surrendered before the Bengal government."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.