Maoist leader surrenders with arms

Maoist leader Kamalesh Mahato, who is linked to several crimes and whom the police was searching for a long time, today surrendered along with a cache of arms.
Jhargram police superintendent Bharati Ghosh told a press conference, "Mahato (26), a state commander and a member of the Gorabandha Maoist hit sqaud, was an accomplice of dreaded Bengal Maoist chief Kishenji, Akash and Jayanto for three years."
After Kishenji was killed in an encounter, effectively putting an end to Maoist terror in Jangalmahal, Mahato fled to Odisha and then to Andhra Pradesh, Ghosh said.
He gave himself up with AK-47 and 9 MM pistols, the SP accompanied by top police officials, said.

A police team had traced him to Hyderabad and opened talks with him for surrender in accordance with the terms of the Chief Minister's package.
Mahato had been associated with Gorabandha hit squad of Maoists and was linked to the snatching of 21 rifles from NCC cadets at Jamboni in Lalgarh police station area during the height of their terror campaign, among other crimes.
He was also a member of the Lalgarh Mancha, the SP added.