Bhubaneswar, Dec. 23 -- As many as 22 underground cadres of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) surrendered before the police in Odisha's Malkangiri district, police said on Tuesday.
The development is seen as a major blow to the banned outfit. Of the 22 underground cadres who decided to shun violence and join the mainstream, there is a senior functionary of Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) rank and six Area Committee Members (ACMs).
The cadres also laid down nine firearms, including an AK-47 rifle, two INSAS rifles, one SLR rifle, three 303 rifles, and two single-shot rifles in the presence of state Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania.
The surrendered cadres pledged to renounce violence, sever all links with the Left extremists a...