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Warangal, Oct 7 (Shoukat-PMI) – Manda Ruben, a 67-year-old senior Maoist and a key figure in the 1991 Jagdalpur jailbreak, surrendered to Warangal police on Tuesday. Ruben, who carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakh, had been underground since 1979 and was one of the most wanted Maoists from the region.
Ruben, also known by aliases Kannanna, Manganna, and Suresh, served as Secretary of the Maoist South Bastar Division Committee and was a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee. He hails from Vangapadu village in Hasanparthy mandal, Hanamkonda district.
Police said Ruben went underground while working in the hostel mess at REC (now NIT Warangal), influenced by former REC student and Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao. Between 1981 and 1986, he was part of the Kunta-Bastar squad under Lanka Papi Reddy and became an Area Committee Member in 1987.
In 1991, Ruben was arrested by Chhattisgarh police at Kothagudem while traveling for medical treatment and sent to Jagdalpur Jail. In 1992, he famously escaped along with three others by removing the roof of the jail cell and using a rope made of bedsheets and towels, an incident that became known as the Jagdalpur jailbreak. He subsequently rejoined Maoist ranks.
Ruben continued his activities as an Area Committee Member in the Kunta and Abujhmarh areas until 1999. That year, he married Podium Bheeme from Gundrayi village in Bijapur district. Serving as a Division Committee Member, Ruben became inactive in 2005 due to ill health and chose to live with his family in Gundrayi village. During this period, he managed poultry and sheep farms while occasionally providing shelter, food, and intelligence on police movements to Maoists.
He was allegedly involved in the 1988 killing of 20 CRPF jawans along the Gollapalli-Maraiguda route and the 1990 attack on Turlapadu police station with Central Committee member Gopanna.
Warangal Police Commissioner Sunpreet Singh said Ruben, who had been suffering from illness, became disillusioned with outdated Maoist principles and decided to surrender in order to live peacefully with his family.
Ruben’s surrender marks a significant development in the region, as he was considered one of the most experienced and wanted Maoists in Telangana and Chhattisgarh.(pressmediaofindia.com)
