Tortured by seniors, woman ultra surrenders

Bhubaneswar: Three years after becoming a Maoist due to `harassment` by her step-mother, a woman ultra on Tuesday surrendered before the police in Keonjhar district accusing her seniors of physical torture.

The ultra, Jayanti Mahanta of Galada village under Telkoi block, joined the Maoist outfit in 2008 when she was a ninth standard student following lucrative promises by rebel leaders, Keonjhar SP Asish Kumar Singh said.

While surrendering, she said she was imparted training in handling firearms, bombs and other explosives in Andhra Pradesh. She was involved in a number of offences, including attack on Similipal forest beat house in Mayurbhanj district, police said.

Jayanti said she had become a Maoist as she was fed up with the harassment by her step-mother, but later got disillusioned because of physical torture by her seniors. Most women and girls in Maoist cadre were subjected to physical torture and harassment, she claimed.

In another development, a Maoist was arrested in Chandrapur area of Rayagada district.

Identified as Fakira Kiritinga (35), the ultra was involved in several crimes including two murders and blasting of mobile towers, police said.