Rayagada, May 27: A Maoist leader, carrying a bounty of Rs 4 lakh on his head, surrendered before the Rayagada Superintendent of Police (SP) in Odisha on Tuesday.
The Maoist leader has been identified as Bijaya Punem, a key member of the Ghumsar Area Committee of the Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagavali (BGN) Division.
He was wanted in several criminal cases and the government had announced a reward of Rs 4 lakh for his capture.
According to police sources, Bijaya is from the Husur police station area in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
When he surrendered, he was carrying a pistol and eight rounds of ammunition. He was involved in several Maoist activities, including armed clashes with security forces in Odisha's Kandhamal district and nearby Chhattisgarh.
It is worth mentioning that Bijaya joined the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2009. After his training, he became a personal security guard for senior Maoist leader Modem Balakrishna, also known as Manoj.
In 2014, he was promoted to Area Commander Member (ACM) and assigned to the BGN Division. In 2024, he moved to Odisha and took over the Ghumsar Area Committee in the division.
Reports stated that Bijaya faced many struggles while with the Maoists, such as mental stress, lack of food and water, and constant security operations. Also, language barriers and internal conflicts within the Maoist group led him to decide to surrender.
