The central government is continuously running a campaign against the Naxalites, due to which their back is broken. It is reported that Paparao, the notorious and last senior Maoist commander of Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, may surrender on Tuesday under heavy pressure from the authorities. People associated with the case say that he also contacted a local journalist to make the process easier.
Security agencies have intensified their operations against Naxalites in the entire South Bastar in the last one week and they are being continuously monitored. Under this, Paparao's movement has been restricted and his support network has also become very weak.
Hindustan Times has claimed in its news that journalist Vikas Tiwari is talking about this matter and in a photo he is seen with Paparao, claimed that the Naxalite commander will surrender tomorrow along with a dozen of his cadres.
Paparao, also known as Sunam Chandraiah, Mangu Dada and Chandranna across the region, carries a reward of Rs 25 lakh and is a State Zonal Committee Member (SZCM), as well as the head of West Bastar division. Meanwhile, according to police and intelligence sources, the Maoist leader, aged between 52 and 55, recently contacted a local journalist and sought help in initiating surrender talks with the authorities.
Regarding the surrender, a person associated with the matter said, "The talks started through a middleman. It seems that he is ready to consider the options of surrender, because the pressure on him has increased a lot."
Paparao is said to be still active in the Indravati National Park area on the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border, a key Maoist area with dense forests. There was a time when he used to command 30-35 armed cadres, but it is being said that due to the elimination of a large number of Maoists, he now lives with a very small group of only 5 cadres.
People associated with the case say that the recent encounters have caused great harm to Paparao and isolated him. A few days ago, during an operation in Bijapur district, 6 Maoists were killed, including senior cadre Dilip Bedja, who was counted among Paparao's close people and also looked after logistics and coordination.
Another officer said, "Due to the continuous operations against Naxalites, arrests and surrenders, Paparao's squad has been disintegrating and the local support system has become weak. Due to these reasons, the possibility of surrender has arisen."
In this matter, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P had already said that the presence of Maoists in Bastar has reduced to a few scattered groups, and the remaining leaders are also under constant pressure. Officials said security forces have intensified search and control operations in the Indravati-Abujhmad belt in a last-ditch effort to eliminate the Maoist leadership in the region.
