Reformed Maoist, Prabha alias Sandhya, 39, got an opportunity to start her life afresh as she will be running an Aavin outlet in Ariyur village near Vellore, starting Saturday.
Along with S. Rajesh Kannan, Deepa Satyan and K. Balakrishnan — Superintendents of Police of Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts respectively, Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian inaugurated the outlet. As a token gesture, they bought Aavin products from her making it her first sale.
“The initiative is to encourage inclusion of such members into the mainstream of society. Ms. Prabha will be an example for others to follow,” Mr. Rajesh Kannan, SP (Vellore), told The Hindu. She is likely the first reformed Maoist to have been rehabilitated in the State.
A native of Chikmagaluru district in Karnataka, Ms. Prabha, who also went by the names Sandhya, Nethira, Vindu and Madhu, was an active member of Special Division, Armed Committee, CPI (Maoist), Karnataka unit, after she went underground in 2006 when the Centre declared the outfit a terrorist group. Since then, it was alleged that she, along with her husband, B.G. Krishnamurthy, who was the head of Karnataka unit, before he was arrested by the Kerala police last November (2021), was a key organiser of essential items and money for the unit.
She has 44 cases against her, all registered by the Karnataka police, which also had announced a reward of ₹5 lakh for anyone providing information about her. Police said that the arrest of her husband and her failing health convinced her to surrender before Tirupattur SP K. Balakrishnan, in December 2021. Under the Reformation and Rehabilitation policy, a government order was passed by the State in October 2020. Based on the G.O., Ms. Prabha has been offered financial assistance of ₹1.5 lakh, which has been deposited in her account, apart from a monthly stipend of ₹4,000 for 36 months. “I am thankful to the State government for providing a lifeline for me,” Ms. Prabha said. At present, Ms. Prabha stays in an old age home opposite to her new Aavin outlet, which costs ₹one lakh, under police protection. She will run the outlet with a few employees every day. Currently, a petrol pump is being run by 15 inmates of the Vellore Central Prison since February 2019 when it was inaugurated.
COMMents
SHARE