Six key cadres from the outlawed Communist Party of India (CPI) Maoist have surrendered before the Andhra Pradesh police . The six-member team included four women. The Maoist cadres belonging to Andhra-Pradesh Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) were produced before the media by Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) D Gautam Sawang. The Maoists, including four from Chhattisgarh, were involved in 127 offences including 17 murders over the past one and a half decades while two others are from Visakhapatnam district, police said, adding that all the six cadre members were all together, carrying a reward of Rs 16 lakh on their heads.

Those who laid down the arms include Pedabayalu-Korukonda Area Committee Secretary Chikkudu Chinna Rao alias Sudheer (32), Divisional Committee Member and Divisional Commander, Vanthala Vannu alias Mahita (25), and Area Committee Members, Madakam Somidi (25), and Madakam Manglu alias Deepak (21), also a protection team member. The two other female cadres, identified as Poyam Rukini alias Rinky (18) and Sodi Bheeme (18), were also working as protection team members.

Police said that Chinna Rao was involved in 93 offences including 14 murders and 11 gunfights. He was also involved in seven landmine blasts. Chinna Rao alias Sudheer's surrender is being seen as a blow to the outlawed party as he is a Division Committee Member of Pedabayalu-Korukonda area and is one among the few tribal leaders from this region. The DGP said  that Maoists were losing support of the tribal people as the benefits of the government schemes are reaching the tribal people even in remote areas through volunteers. He said this had made it difficult for the extremists to sustain their campaign.

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