Maoist leader surrenders in Wayanad

First to surrender after rehabilitation scheme put in place by Govt.

Lijesh, alias Ramu, a senior leader of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist), has surrendered before the police in Wayanad.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Tuesday, Ashok Yadav, IGP, North Zone, said Lijesh, 37, surrendered before Wayanad Police Chief Aravind Sukumar around 10 p.m. on Monday without arms.

“Lijesh is the first Maoist cadre to surrender in the State after the Surrender and Rehabilitation scheme announced by the State Government in 2018,” Mr. Yadav said.

The scheme seeks to ensure that Maoists, who have surrendered, do not revert back to extremism by providing them gainful employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. The surrender is an achievement of the State police force, he said.

“The Kerala Police had registered cases against the militant and relevant details will be screened by a monitoring committee before announcing the rehabilitation package for him,” Mr.Yadav said adding that the police would ensure security of the surrendered and his family.

Lijesh, a native of Amarakkuni, near Pulpally, in the district, said he joined the militant group seven years ago while working at a ginger plantation in Karnataka along with his parents.

He claimed that he was the deputy commander of the Kabanidalam of the Western Ghats Special Zone Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and had worked for the organisation in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.

“I surrendered before the police after realising that there was no point in continuing in the militant group,” Lijesh said.

He is married to Rema (name changed) who is still a member of the extremist group, he said.