Amidst the “controversial” claims of Bastar police of hundreds of Maoist surrenders in the last one year, Maoists have carried out a “reverse surrender” by making a police constable surrender before them.
According to a statement issued by Rajmand Mandavi, secretary of Mad Divisional Committee of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), Michha Vadda, a constable with Narayanpur district police has “surrendered” before a unit of the Maoists in Kutul area on March 29.
“Michche Vadda, 37, a police constable posted in Farasgav police station of Narayanpur, has surrendered before Kutul area Janatana Sarkar of the CPI (Maoist). He worked for police for more than 10 years since 2005. However, he was being harassed by his senior officers and was pained over the continuous atrocities by security forces on Bastar Tribals,” claimed the Maoist leader.
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Mr. Vadda had gone missing on March 13 when he went to visit his village Kutul. Police believed that he was “abducted” by the Maoists.
However, Maoists have claimed that Mr. Vadda surrendered before them “willingly” with his wife Manju.
“Vadda had run away from his village in 2005 and joined police as a Gopniya Sainik (secret agent). He was promoted as the auxillary constable and then as the police constable in Farasgav police camp. As a part of the police force, he could see the brutal atrocities by the security forces over Bastar tribals including fake encounters,” claimed Rajmand Mandavi.
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“Police killed his cousin Rainu and his friend Samalu in a fake encounter in 2007. His brother Karia Vadda, who was also working with police, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Kakdazor police camp,” added the Maoist leader.
Raja Mandavi also claimed that Mr. Vadda’s senior Sukku Naroti asked him to join DRG (District Reserve Group) of police but he refused. “Angered over his denial, Sukku and his men started harassing Vadda’s wife Manju. Even Narayanpur district Superintendent of Police (SP) was pressurising him to resign and his own department was planning to declare him mentally unstable. Vadda was deeply hurt over this and was sticking to his job only for financial reasons. Ultimately he came back to his village and surrendered before us ,” he stated.
The Maoist leader appealed to the “distraught” policemen working in Bastar to stop living an “undignified life” and to surrender before the ultras. “We would provide safe and dignified life like Vadda and Manju to every other policeman who accepts his mistakes and surrenders before us,” said Mr. Mandavi.
Narayanpur SP Amit Kamble did not respond to the calls from The Hindu when tried to reach for his reaction. However, an officer involved in anti-Maoist operations in Bastar said the Maoist leader’s claims would have to be “verified.”