Bhubaneswar, Sep 3 (IANS) A Maoist area commander surrendered in Orissa Saturday, taking the total number of guerrillas who surrendered in the state this week to eight, police said.
Laxmidhar Nayak, who joined the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in 2006, was active on the Orissa-Chhattisgarh border. He has been named in several criminal cases, including those of murder, rioting, arson and extortion.
He surrendered before the police at the district headquarters town of Nabrangpur, about 560 km from here, a senior district police officer told IANS.
The rebel told the police that he was motivated by family members to shun violence and lead a peaceful life.
Five rebels surrendered in the steel city of Rourkela Friday and two female Maoists, including a minor, surrendered in the district headquarters town of Koraput Aug 30.
Maoists are active in half of Orissa's 30 districts.