6 Maoists Likely to Surrender in Chikkamagaluru: Officials

The Six Maoists Include Top Leaders Who Were Active in Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh

- HT Correspondent

BENGALURU: Six most-wanted Maoists, including the top leaders active in Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh, are preparing to surrender before the Chikkamagaluru district administration by Wednesday, according to officials familiar with the matter. Their decision follows intensified anti-Maoist operations in the Western Ghats and an appeal by chief minister Siddaramaiah urging Maoists to join the democratic mainstream.

An official, who is a civil society organization working for rehabilitation of Maoists, said that the Maoists who will likely surrender in the coming days include Mundagaru Latha, who leads the Tunga Naxal Wing in Karnataka; Sundari, Vanajakshi, and Jeesha, identified as some of south India's most-wanted Maoists; K Vasantha from Andhra Pradesh; and Mareppa Aroli.

The surrender comes in the wake of a recent encounter in the Pithabailu area of Udupi district, where Maoist leader Vikram Gowda was killed on November 20. Gowda, a key figure in the Maoist movement, had been on the run for over two decades. The Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) and Karnataka police have been conducting continuous combing operations in the Western Ghats region, leading to increased pressure on Maoist groups.