Maoist commander surrenders in Chhattisgarh

A commander of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head, today surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-hit Kanker district.

"Suraj Patel alias Mohit Kumar, a divisional committee member of rebel's outfit, had expressed his desire to join mainstream and surrendered this afternoon," Superintendent of Police R N Dash said.

Suraj was expert in making improvised explosive devices and also a key member of the press wing of CPI(Maoist) in the region.

A native of Rowghat region of Kanker, Suraj joined the Naxal movement in 2005 and after working at various levels particularly in the press wing, he was elevated as commander of the Chargaon Local Operation Squad of Maoist in 2007.

He was also the editor of local magazine of Maoist 'Bhumkal'.

He was involved in several incidents of fatal attack on security forces in the region, Dash said.

He will be given assistance as per the rehabilitation policy of Chhattisgarh government, the SP said.

In a separate incident, a Naxal was arrested by a joint team of security personnel last night near Kodapakha base camp of paramilitaries in Kanker, he said.

The joint squad of Border Security Force and district force spotted the cadre- Manguram - in the forests of Santrai in suspicious condition following which he was nabbed.

The questioning of the arrested Naxal was on, he added.