Woman Naxal carrying Rs 4 lakh reward surrenders in AP

Visakhapatnam: A woman Naxal carrying a reward of Rs 4 lakh on her head today surrendered before police along with another cadre.

Gemmeli Bando (26) alias Kamala alias Rasso and Vanthala Saalu (19) alias Balaiah, who carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, turned themselves in before Koya Praveen, Superintendent of Police (Visakhapatnam Rural), citing ill-health, officials said.

Praveen said Kamala is a native of Toomulova area under Koyyuru Police Station limits whereas Balaiah is a resident of Chukkagoyyi area, both in Visakhapatnam district.

Kamala joined the Maoist rank as an armed militia member of Galikonda area committee in 2007. Later, she became a member of Kalimela and Malkangiri area committees and was also associated with Jana Natya Mandali, the cultural wing of the Naxals, the police officer said.

Kamla, who carried a reward of Rs 4 lakh on her head, had been involved in three offences – exchanges of fire with policemen and murder of two police informers near Diguva Golluru in May 2014, he said.

She has been suffering from gynaecological problems for the past few months and hence wanted to quit the armed movement, police said.

Kamala left the movement a few months ago without informing her seniors and decided to surrender.

Balaiah joined the insurgents at a very young age as a member of its armed militia in Galikonda area. Balaiah was also involved in a few offences and in arranging logistics, Praveen said.

He got disillusioned with the rebels’ ideology and decided to give himself up to the police, he added.