A senior leader of the banned CPI (Maoist) by name Korra Seetha alias Swarna alias Shallu (25) surrendered before Visakhapatnam (Range) DIG L.K.V. Ranga Rao here on Monday.
Swarna was the area committee member (ACM) of the Maoist party’s Pedabayalu Area Committee and she was involved in nine murder cases, one landmine blast, six exchanges of fire, two ambushes, one arson, one famine raid and one praja court (Kangaroo court).
In 2020, she participated in three fire exchanges (EoFs) in the cut-off region on the Odisha side and in 2017, she actively took part in two ambushes against the security forces in Gillelabanda and Jakkam area of AOB.
She is a native of Sakirevu village of Jamiguda panchayat in Pedabayalu mandal and had joined the movement in 2010. She had a reward of ₹4 lakh on her head.
She joined the movement in 2010, after being inspired by speeches given by senior Maoist leaders such as Azad, Sudheer and Vasantha and rose to the post of ACM.
Being a local from the AOB region, she held considerable sway in the party and controlled the area from Machkund on the Odisha side of AOB to Korukonda and Galikonda area, on the Andhra side of the AOB.
Speaking to the media after surrender, she said that she was sick from quite some time and the Maoist leadership was not listening to her pleas to let her go or get her treated.
She also said that she was not getting proper food, treatment and was spending sleepless nights due to the intensified combing by the security forces, on both sides of the border.
Swarna also said that recruitment of tribals in the Visakha agency was drying out and people were questioning the Maoists for opposing development activity such as building roads, hospitals, schools and cell tower connectivity.
The surrendered Maoist also expressed that there was considerable disillusionment among the cadres on the Maoist ideology and many were opposing the killing of innocent tribals after branding them as police informers.
Along with her, Pangi Musiri alias Chittibabu (36), also a native of Sakirevu village, who was the commander of the armed militia of the party in the area, also surrendered. He was involved in over seven offences, including burning of earthmoving equipment and destroying government properties. He had joined the movement in 2010.
Two other members of the armed militia, Korra Venkata Rao (37) and Pangi Gopal Rao alias Gopal (55), also surrendered before the DIG.
The surrendered militia members said that pressure from the family members to surrender was also one of the reasons to take the decision.
Superintendent of Police B. Krishna Rao, OSD Satish Kumar and other senior officers from the district police and CRPF were present.
