103 Naxalites, 49 of them with combined bounty of Rs 1 crore, surrender in Bijapur
Bijapur (PTI): As many as 103 Naxalites, 49 of them carrying a collective bounty of more than Rs 1 crore, surrendered before authorities in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, a police official said.
The cadres, including 22 women, turned themselves in before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials, citing disappointment with "hollow" Maoist ideology and differences within the banned outfit CPI (Maoist), Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said.
This was perhaps one of the largest-ever surrenders by Left-wing extremists in a single day in Chhattisgarh.
They were also impressed with development works being carried out in the Bastar region and decided to eschew the path of armed rebellion, he said.
The cadres said they were particularly impressed by "Poona Margem (Rehabilitation for Social Reintegration) - a rehabilitation initiative launched by Bastar Range police for Naxalites, 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme of the Chhattisgarh government aimed at facilitating development works in remote villages, and the state administration's new surrender and rehabilitation policy, the SP noted.
Of them, Lachhu Punem alias Santosh (36), a divisional committee member of Maoists, Guddu Farsa (30), Bhima Sodhi (45), Hidme Farsa (26) and Sukhmati Oyam (27), all platoon party committee members, were carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each, he informed.
Among others, four Naxalites were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each, 15 cadres a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each, ten a reward of Rs 1 lakh each, 12 cadres a reward of Rs 50,000 each, and three a bounty of Rs 10,000 each, he said.
The number of RPC (Revolutionary Party Committee) members of Maoists among those who surrendered is high. They decided to quit the Left-wing extremist movement after several Maoist leaders were either killed by security forces or surrendered in the recent past, Yadav said.
With this, 410 Naxalites have surrendered in Bijapur district so far this year, while 421 others have been arrested, the SP stated.
"Terms of the government's rehabilitation policy have been encouraging Maoists to shun violence. The families of those who surrender also want them to live a normal life and integrate with society," the SP affirmed, urging Maoists to return to mainstream society.
All the surrendered Naxalites were provided an immediate assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be rehabilitated as per the government's policy, police said.
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Nashik court sends ‘godman’ Kharat to 3-day police custody in 7th sexual exploitation case
Nashik (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Nashik has remanded self-styled astrologer-cum-godman Ashok Kharat to police custody till April 29 in the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.
Kharat, a former Merchant Navy officer arrested on March 18, is accused of sexually exploiting several women and indulging in large-scale financial fraud by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic.
In the seventh case, Kharat sexually exploited a married woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems.
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The accused allegedly gave the woman something to drink, sexually assaulted her while her husband sat outside his office and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about it.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against Kharat in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts, on Sunday filed a request application in the court demanding his custody in the seventh case.
Kharat was produced in court for a virtual hearing in the seventh case on Monday.
The prosecution demanded six-day police custody for Kharat, citing the discovery of a locker in Kharat's house during the investigation, from which the police recovered two blank cheques and other documents, all of which have to be probed.
The court agreed to the prosecution's demand and remanded Kharat to three-day police custody till April 29 in the case.
Kharat has been at the centre of a political firestorm, as he was well-connected, and photographs of him with political leaders and other important members of society have been surfacing in mainstream and social media since his arrest.
