Daltonganj: A CPI(Maoist) rebel with a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head surrendered at the office of the DIG and divisional commissioner's office here on Thursday.
Thirty-five-year old Kamlesh Kumar Ganjhu alias Birsai got a cheque of Rs 25 lakh on a branch of the SBI Garhwa.
Birsai, who hails from Belgara village in Latehar district, was a member of the Maoists special area committee (SAC) and operated in Koyal Sankh Zone, Bihar, Jharkhand and North Chhatisgarh.
This is the second big surrender by a Maoist in a little over one year.
Aenul, carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, had surrendered in June last year.
According to a press note circulated by the personnel of DIG's office, Birsai has 77 cases against him.
Out of these 77 cases, 44 are registered in Latehar district and the rest in Garhwa.
Birsai is known for his organisational ability, collection of levy and maintaining good rapport with Maoist supporters.
He played a key role in expanding the Maoist organisation up to the north of Chhatisgarh.
Birsai was set to be the next chief of the outfit after the demise of top gun Arvindji, but with the arrival of Sudhakar from the south, he had to remain content with his position as a member of the SAC.
In his three-minute speech in front of the media, Birsai said, "Outsiders have overtaken the outfit. Tribal cadres here are looked down upon by these outsiders. We risk our lives and work hard but the cash is stashed by the outsiders. Over the last six months, I was feeling upset with these people. I took a decision and now I stand before you."
He showed no regret for being a Maoist for around 25 years, but hope for a better future was written on his face.
Birsai's wife Raj Kumari Devi looked happy.
"We are a family, but I have lived a lonely life for long. Now we will live together," she said
The tribal woman said officials of the intelligence bureau and Latehar and Garhwa SP used to visit her house and convice her to motivate Birsai to surrender.
"I weighed all the pros and cons and then got Birsai ready for this," she said.
Birsai has a 13-year-old daughter who studies in Class VII of Don Bosco School in Macluskieganj.
The reformed rebel had joined extremism when he was 9-10 years old. He was in the bal dasta (children wing) of then Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). In 2004, MCC and the then PWG (People's War Group) merged together to become CPI(Maoist).
Experts said the exit of a big tribal (Birsai) and a Muslim (Aenul) face had left the Maoist outfit in control of the leaders from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
