Overview
- Shakuntala Mahato appeared at Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar Wednesday and publicly laid down arms while urging other cadres to return to the mainstream.
- Police said they recovered a firearm and ammunition from her but details vary across reports, with outlets citing an SLR and 37 rounds or one gun and between 40 and 46 rounds.
- Investigators identify Mahato as a long‑time zonal committee member of the Dalma Squad who operated in the Saranda and Jharkhand‑Odisha‑Bihar corridor and had links to the PLGA and senior commander Mishir Besra.
- Authorities say she carries a ₹10 lakh reward in Jharkhand, faces multiple criminal cases in West Bengal and neighbouring states, and will undergo formal legal processing before entering government rehabilitation programs.
- Security officials frame the surrender as the latest result of stepped‑up operations and recent arrests, a development that could produce more defections and new leads into the Saranda network for investigators.