Former Maoist Rebel with Rs 5 Lakh Bounty Transforms into Security Guard at Odisha Blood Bank

Dhananjoy Gope, also known as Sudhir, a former Maoist rebel from Malkangiri district in Odisha, transformed his life by exchanging his weapon for a security uniform six years ago.

With a substantial bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head, Dhananjoy made the life-changing decision to surrender to Koraput police authorities in February 2019, ending his 14-15 year involvement with the Maoist movement.

During his time as an insurgent, he served as a Divisional Committee Member of the Gumma area committee and was actively involved with the Kalimela area operations in 2009.

His criminal record included several serious offenses such as murder and arson cases that gained significant attention.

The former rebel formally surrendered his weapons to South-Western Range DIG Himanshu Lal.

Currently, Dhananjoy works as a security guard at the Malkangiri Blood Bank, protecting the same community that he once stood against as a Maoist.

His rehabilitation story parallels that of Rama Madkami, also known as Dinesh, another former Maoist from the Balimela area who surrendered in 2015 and now holds a security position at Malkangiri Hospital.

During his militant days, Dinesh was an active participant in the Malkangiri Koraput Border Division operations.

Both reformed individuals have expressed profound contentment with their transition to mainstream society and encourage current Maoist cadres to follow their path by surrendering and reintegrating into regular civilian life.

This report includes contributions from Dev Kumar Ghosh.