37 Naxalites surrender in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada; 27 of them carried Rs 65 lakh bounty
Dantewada (PTI): Thirty-seven Naxalites, 27 of them collectively carrying a reward of Rs 65 lakh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Sunday, police said.
The cadres, including 12 women, turned themselves in before senior police and CRPF officials here as part of the "Poona Margem" (from rehabilitation to social reintegration) initiative, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said.
The initiative, launched by Bastar range police, has been emerging as a transformative drive for establishing lasting peace, dignity and comprehensive progress in Bastar region, he said.
The key cadres among those who surrendered include Kumali alias Anita Mandavi, Geeta alias Lakshmi Madkam, Ranjan alias Soma Mandavi and Bhima alias Jahaj Kalmu. All of them carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh each, the official said.
Under the government's rehabilitation policy, the cadres who have surrendered will be provided instant assistance of Rs 50,000 each along with other facilities, like training for skill development, agricultural land, etc, he said.
Inspired by the surrender and rehabilitation policies of the Centre and the state government, more than 508 Maoists, 165 of them carrying a reward, have quit violence and joined the social mainstream in Dantewada district over the past 20 months, the official said.
A large number of Maoists, from senior leaders to active cadres in their base areas, have left the outlawed organisation, Rai said.
In the last 23 months, more than 2,200 Naxalites, including top cadres, have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, according to police.
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Pak police registers case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on LeT co-founder
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Lahore (PTI): Pakistan's Punjab Police on Friday registered a case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder Amir Hamza, who suffered bullet injuries in the attack in Lahore.
On Thursday, two unidentified gunmen riding on a bike opened fire on the vehicle of the private TV channel 24NewsHD TV, owned by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, on Peco Road in Lahore near the TV channel's office.
In the attack, Hamza suffered bullet injuries.
"The FIR has been registered against unidentified gunmen, but it is sealed forthwith," a senior police officer told PTI.
He said the intelligence agencies have taken over this case from the police, and they are currently investigating the matter.
The channel's religious programme host Justice (retd.) Nazir Ahmed Ghazi and Hamza were in the vehicle when it was attacked. Hamza was shifted to a hospital for treatment.
Punjab police on Friday said that "upon receiving information about the incident, the SSP Operations immediately reached the scene and a high alert was imposed in the area. SSP Operations Tauqeer Naeem also met the affected individuals. Thankfully, all present in the vehicle remained safe during the firing."
It further said senior police officers of the Township and Chung, along with a heavy police contingent, were present at the scene.
"Police collected evidence from the site and initiated an investigation. Efforts to arrest the suspects are underway using CCTV footage and geo-fencing techniques. Search and sweep operations are being conducted at various locations, with scrutiny of suspicious individuals ongoing," police said.
It added that those involved in the incident will be traced and arrested soon.
The police sources said that Hamza has been shifted to his residence in Jauhar Town, Lahore, where police and agency personnel met him.
The leadership of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political front of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's banned Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), including Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed, also called on him.
TV host retired Justice Ghazi, who remained unhurt in the attack, remained a legal counsel for Hafiz Saeed, they said.
The PMML has strongly condemned the attack on Hamza and demanded that those involved in the incident be arrested immediately.
Hamza is regarded as LeT's second most important leader after its chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 after getting convicted for several years in terror financing cases.
Hamza has been designated as a terrorist by the US. In the past, he served as the head of LeT's "special campaigns" department.
In 2018, Hamza formed a fundraising group for the LeT following a ban on the JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation by the Pakistani government.
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