Top Maoist leader surrenders in Warangal

Warangal: A top leader of CPI (Maoist) Party, Shanigarapu Uma alias Anitha , 32, surrendered before the police here on Tuesday. She carries a cash reward of Rs. 5 lakh on her head. Urban superintendent of police A Venkateshwara Rao produced the surrendered Naxalite before the media. She has surrendered before the police due to her ill health, the SP said. She belongs to Devannapet village of Hasanparthy mandal in the district. Uma joined the Maoist party in 1997 and was involved in about 35 offenses in Warangal district. Before her surrender, she worked as the member of West Gadchiroli District Committee in Maharashtra and as West Regional Team Commander. She is the wife of Gajerla Ashok alias Janardhan who is in-charge of Gadchiroli Division military wing in Maharashtra. She began her underground work as the member of Annasagar dalam and in 1998 married Ashok. She has served jail term twice at the Central jail, Warangal. She was first arrested on August 8, 1999 in connection with a murder case and again in October 19, 2000 in a house blasting case. After her release, she again joined the dalam. She came to know that her husband Ashok was shifted to Dandakaranya in Chattisgarh state and she also moved to South Basthar division where she was given a .303 rifle. She was trained for five months in medical treatment under the guidance of an MBBS doctor called Somji. She was the commander of a team of five doctors and treated injured Maoists and villagers in north and west regions of Basthar forest areas. While working at West Basthar she faced some health problems and brought to the notice of Sujathakka wife Kishanjee. "She was vexed with the party ideology. Her ill health also forced her to surrender," said the urban SP Venkateshwara Rao. She has also surrendered her sten gun to the police. Venkateshwara Rao and additional SP B Umamaheswar in reply to a question said there were 64 persons from the Warangal district still underground working for the various Naxal groups, largely in the Maoist party.