19-Year-Old Maoist Rebel Surrenders in Rourkela, Cites Exploitation

Rourkela/Jamshedpur: A day after state director general of police Y B Khurania appealed to the Maoists to surrender before the centre’s deadline of March 31, a 19-year-old woman rebel surrendered before Rourkela police on Monday.

Mongadi Honhaga, a member of the local guerrilla squad of the CPI(Maoist)’s South Chotanagra division, hails from Holomuli village under Chotanagra police station in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district.

West Singhbhum superintendent of police (SP) Amit Renu said that they would investigate to ascertain her role in the violent activities of the banned outfit. “Don’t think we have any cases against her but need to re-check,” the SP said when asked about the cases, if any, pending against the 19-year-old Naxalite. She was part of the Lalchand alias Anmol da squad and was heading the group responsible for the logistics and groceries supply to the squad on the Odisha-Jharkhand border in the Saranda forest.

With five offences registered against her in Odisha, including the loot of approximately 5,000 kg of explosives from the Banko mine area in Sundergarh, Honhaga reportedly was present with the squad when security forces encountered the Naxalites in Kumdih forest in Chotanagra police station limits on Jan 19, 2022. Mongadi claimed that mental and physical exploitation in the outfit has prompted her to quit.

Brijesh Kumar Rai, DIG (western range), said her surrender reflects the impact of sustained security pressure and rehabilitation initiatives.

“Under the Odisha govt’s revised surrender and rehabilitation policy, Hunanga will be eligible for financial assistance of Rs 2.65 lakh, along with other benefits to support her reintegration,” Rai said.

West Singhbhum superintendent of police (SP) Amit Renu said that they would investigate to ascertain her role in the violent activities of the banned outfit.