Top Maoist leader Sudershan, who was
nabbed in Khammam district on Saturday, is to be presented in court today.
Sudershan alias Sriramulu Srinivas, who had only just escaped arrest during a vehicle check at Wyra in Khammam, was, on Saturday evening, apprehended by locals, who found his behaviour suspiscious, and handed over to the police.
Following this, Sudershan, who carried a reward of Rs. 20 lakhs on his head, attempted to flee, and the police shot him in the foot. He was taken to a private hospital for treatment, after which he was interrogated by the police.
It was during the interrogation that 55-year-old Sudershan, wanted in as many as 20 murder cases, had reportedly revealed that he had given up the Maoist cause, and had been trying to escape to Hyderabad to start over afresh with his family. He submitted a pre-written letter of surrender, which Maoist militants reportedly keep upon their person at all times in case of arrest.
The arrest of the CPI (M) Andhra-Orissa Border Committee member has come as yet another blow to Maoists operating in the forests. Already beseiged by sickness and the summer heat, several are surrendering to the police, while several others, like Sudershan, are trying to escape to other parts. Three Maoists, including two men and a women, surrendered to the police only a day after Sudershan's arrest, informed Khammam SP A V Ranganath.
Meanwhile, the Khammam police being on a sudden lookout for Maoist rebels in a remote town like Wyra suggests the presence of informants among their ranks, yet another blow to militancy along the Andhra-Orissa border.