Ranchi, Oct. 6: A 16-year-old CPI(Maoist) rebel, yesterday arrested from her village home in Sunderpahari thana area of Godda district, will not be treated as a Maoist but a victim of violence, police have said.

Though the girl admitted she had fired at the police during an encounter on October 1, 2016, no charges will be filed against her.

Formerly a part of the Mithileshda-Talada Maoist squad of bordering areas of Dumka, Godda and Pakur, the Paharia tribal girl was today sent to a probation home in Deoghar and after mandatory legal formalities would be put in a Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya of her choice.

Likewise, three other underage girls of the same Maoist squad, two of Godda and one of Dumka, are also being treated as victims. They will also go to school. The police would also ensure security to their families.

The girl arrested yesterday revealed on interrogation how teenage girls from backward tribes join Maoist outfits believing it would give them agency to change their lives.

In early 2016, Maoists had lured her, a school dropout, to their fold along with the two other girls from Paharpur, she said. The trio were Paharias and knew 'nothing of the world'. 'I was promised nice food and clothes, even education,' she is reported to have told Godda police.

But rude shocks awaited them. The girls were trained to use firearms but otherwise they cooked, washed utensils and fended off sexual advances from men in the squad. One allegedly got raped by Mithileshda and fled to Delhi to work as a domestic help before surrendering to Godda police a few months ago. Another was arrested a few months ago.

This girl said she managed to escape 'advances' this April by fleeing from a football match she had come to see in Paharpur. 'I kept moving, I hid at homes of relatives,' she said. Homesick, she came home for Durga Puja festivities, when the police got wind of her arrival and caught her.

'She was a part of the armed Maoist squad at the Sunderpahari encounter with police on October 1 last year but we decided not to treat her as a rebel,' said Godda SP Hari Lal Chouhan. He added no casualty took place in the encounter.

'We learnt about the minor girls (three of Godda and the fourth from Dumka) while interrogating rebels arrested earlier and contacted their families. They are all victims of rebel violence,' he added.

Her squad lies in disarray. Mithileshda was arrested from Kathikund, Dumka, some weeks ago, and he also faces a rape charge from the girl who escaped to Delhi before surrendering. Four more men of the squad are also arrested. Another 15 to 20 armed members of this squad are active, the Godda SP said, but they would not be 'given excess time to consider surrendering'.

A senior police officer in Ranchi said Maoists were concentrating more on backward Santhal Pargana, as recent mining operations and industries gave rebels the impetus to lure poor villagers into their fold and extort levy from contractors on 'or else' terms.