Absconding woman Maoist in Jharkhand surrenders, two more ultras arrested

Bokaro, April 28 (IANS) Sunita Murmu alias Lilmuni Murmu, a hardcore Maoist who had been absconding, surrendered before the Bokaro district police here on Monday, officials said.

Her surrender was accepted at the office of the Superintendent of Police under the Jharkhand government’s 'Nayi Dishayein' (New Directions) surrender and rehabilitation policy.

Sunita, 22, hails from Amarpani village under the Shikaripara police station in Dumka district.

She had earlier spent three years in Giridih jail on charges related to Maoist activities before being released on bail.

Several serious cases are registered against her at Mahuatand and Khukhara police stations in Bokaro, under the Arms Act, the Explosives Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

She had escaped during an encounter between security forces and Maoists in the Lalpania area of Bokaro on April 21, during which eight Maoists, including Prayag Manjhi with Rs 1 crore bounty, were killed. Manjhi was a key Maoist figure wanted in over 100 incidents across Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Speaking to the media after her surrender on Monday, Sunita said she was forcibly taken away from her home by Maoists under the pretext of attending court.

Realising she had been misled, she tried to escape. After the encounter on April 21, she wandered through the forests before finally reaching Bokaro by train to surrender.

Police officials have described her surrender as a major success in the ongoing anti-Naxal campaign.

Meanwhile, in a separate operation, police in Khunti district arrested two members of the banned People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended Somlal Mahali (26) of Rugadi village and Saad Munda (25) of Marangburu Sarekocha village. Both were arrested by the Sayko police station teams.

The police recovered illegal weapons, live ammunition, PLFI pamphlets, and mobile phones from their possession.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has appealed to all Maoists to lay down their arms and join the mainstream of society and has set March 31, 2026, as a deadline to eradicate the Maoist menace from the country.

--IANS

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