New Delhi: A top woman leader of the proscribed CPI (Maoist) surrendered before the Telangana police on Saturday.
Aluri Usha Rani, a divisional committee member of the north sub-zonal bureau of the Dandakaranya special zonal committee of CPI (Maoist), laid down arms before DGP M. Mahender Reddy.
Usha Rani alias Vijayakka alias Pochakka is a native of Tenali in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh and was brought up at Gudivada in Krishna district. She surrendered on health grounds.
According to the police, she was involved in several violent incidents both in Telangana and Chhattisgarh.
She participated in a total of 14 offences during her underground life in both states.
These include five attacks on security forces, three exchanges of fire with the police, three blasting of buildings, one abduction and two assault cases.
The DGP appealed to the Maoist cadres to join the mainstream and take part in the advancement of the nation through constructive participation and benefit from the rehabilitation process of Telangana state, which includes immediate relief with suitable amount and other support measures.
The DGP said Usha Rani will be provided total rehabilitation by the state as per the policy. He also gave her Rs 50,000 cash towards meeting her immediate expenses.
Usha Rani disclosed that many of the senior cadres of CPI (Maoist) over 60 years of age are suffering from severe health problems and are not getting due attention or treatment on account of lacking access to medical facilities.
According to her, many members of the central committee, including Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi, ex-general secretary of CPI (Maoist), are suffering from ill health due to old age.
Laxman Rao, unable to move across the struggle areas in the country, was relieved from the responsibilities of general secretary. Now his health condition is highly precarious.
She told the police that the organisation suffered setbacks, both militarily and organisationally, due to arrests, deaths and surrender of important as well as senior cadres.
In 1984, while pursuing her B.Sc from the ANR Degree College, Gudivada, Usha Rani joined RSU under the leadership of Kalleguri Prasad, a central organiser. She joined the CPI(ML) People’s War Group in 1991.
In 1998, her husband Mukka Venkateshwar Gupta alias Kiran, the Nalgonda district secretary and south Telangana regional committee member, died in an exchange of fire with police.