As many as 10 Naxals including eight women todaysurrenderedin Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bastar district citing increasing pressure of security forces and "atrocities" on them by senior cadres, police said.
"The rebels turned themselves in before senior police and administration officials at Jagdalpur district headquarter," Bastar Superintendent of Police RN Dash said.
Among them was Asanti Kashyap, an activemember of LGS (Local Guerilla Squad),carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on her head, he said.
Seven other women cadres identified as Manisha Markam, Rekha Madkami, Sonadai Yadav, Ayte Madkami, Jajbo Podiyami, Hidme Podiyami and Sanko Podiyami surrendered along with two male rebels -- Bheema Madkami and Hadkami, Dash said.
They belonged to different lower rank squads of the banned outfit likejanmilitia and Kisan Adivasi Majdoor Sangthan.
"In their statement, they all expressed disappointment with the empty ideology of the outlawednaxalmovement and violence. They also spilled about atrocities meted out to them by their senior cadres," the SP said.
Moreover, they were also impressed with the provisions ofsurrenderand rehabilitation policy of the state government which compelled them to join the mainstream, he added.
Four of them belonged to Kanger Valley Area Committee while six others, including two men, were active in Katekalyan Area Committee under the Darbha Division of Maoist which has been instrumental in executing several deadlynaxalattacks in southBastar, Dash said.
Both strong area committees of Maoists had suffered asetback with the recent surrender of cadres in large numbers, he said, tagging it as a major success for Bastar police.
They all will be facilitated as per thesurrenderand rehabilitation policy, he added.
Notably, a total of 350Naxalsand their supporters havesurrenderedin Bastar district since December last year, Dash said.
