Chatra, December 1: A wanted Naxal leader who was carrying an award of Rs 5 lakh on his head surrendered before the police in Jharkhand's Chatra district on Tuesday, a senior police official said.

Udesh Ganjhu alias Sukul, a sub-zonal commander of the banned Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), surrendered with an American-made semi-automatic rifle and 150 rounds of cartridges, Chatra Superintendent of Police Rishabh Jha said. Also Read | UP Sets Target, Asks Teachers to Convince Students to Download the Diksha App.

The TSPC is a splinter organisation of the Tritiya Prastuti Committee, another proscribed body. Hailing from Sildag village in Lawalong police station of Chatra district, Ganjhu was associated with the organisation for the past 15 years and was active in Chatra, Latehar and Palamu districts where at least eight cases of Naxal-related incidents were registered against him. Also Read | Farmers’ Protest: Farm Unions Reject Centre’s Offer to Form Committee For Discussion Over Farm Laws.

Jha welcomed him back to the mainstream of the society. A check of Rs 5 lakh, the reward amount declared by the state government, was handed over to Ganjhu as per the surrender policy. Following the policy, the benefits of various government schemes would also be extended to his family members at the earliest, the SP said.

Ganjhu said that the Naxal movement has deviated from its objective. He also appealed to other Naxalites to shun the path of violence and return to the mainstream of the society, taking advantage of the government's surrender policy.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)