Maoist at Didi doorstep to ‘surrender’

Taken by surprise,the security personnel took the man,Prakash Acharya alias Bhaipo,to the local police station from where he was sent to the Special Task Force (STF) office at Lalbazar,headquarters of Kolkata Police.

Rajiv Kumar,ACP,STF said the police are looking at his case and that he wants to surrender before the chief minister.

“He is a member of the CPI-Maoists. He has some cases against him. We will hand him over to the higher authorities before whom he can surrender,” Kumar told The Indian Express.

The Indian Express had reported on October 15 that there is a possibility of Maoists surrendering in the coming days.

According to sources,Prakash Acharya (23) said he used to be a member of the PCAPA and was a close associate of Maoist area commander Jayanto.

STF officials are interrogating him. He is said to have told the police that he is a resident of Beliabera in Jhargram and has some cases against him. A senior police official said Prakash Acharya is member of the Santosh Rana squad.

“Bhaipo has at least seven cases against him,including two murder and arms cases. His cases are recorded in Beliabera,Jhargram and Sankrain police station areas,” said a senior police official.

Prakash Acharya is the first Maoist squad member to surrender after the Mamata Banerjee government came into power.

A senior police official involved in the anti-Naxalite operation said,“We are looking how we can bring him under the surrender policy package. We are verifying all his cases and will try to ensure he is rehabilitated as soon as possible.”