Maharashtra: woman Maoist cadre surrenders before Gadchiroli Police

Aug 21, 2024

Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) [India], August 21 : One hardcore woman Maoist cadre on Wednesday surrendered before Gadchiroli Police and the Central Reserve Police Force, the police said.
The Maoist cadre was identified as Sangita Pusu Podadi (40) and she carried a bounty of Rs six lakh for various crimes registered against her.
The police said that Podadi was directly involved in seven encounters with the security forces. The police also said that she was accused in three murder cases.
In 2008, she was directly involved in the arson of tractors and JCB vehicles on a road construction site on Krushnar-Sonpur road, Narayanpur, the police said.
The police said that senior Maoist cadres don't pay attention to medical problems of party members and that was one of the reasons for her to surrender. Discrimination against women cadres and senior Maoists exploiting the poor tribal youths only for their own benefit are other reasons for the surrender.
She told the police that tribals were killed based solely on suspicion of being police informers and that during encounters, male Maoists ran away, leaving women Maoists to fend for themselves and often getting killed. She also told the police that married party members could not live an independent married life. These all disenchanted her and caused her to surrender before the police and the CRPF, said the police.
"Disillusioned by the hollow claims of Maoism and frustrated by their mindless violence against civilians, a large number of members of the banned CPI (Maoist) are attracted to the Surrender cum Rehabilitation Policy implemented by the Government of Maharashtra since 2005. Thanks to the effective implementation of this Policy, a total of 672 active Maoists till date have surrendered before the Gadchiroli Police," said the police.