Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A 19-year-old woman’s surrender before Odisha Police as a Naxalite has triggered controversy, with her family disputing the claim and alleging she was falsely implicated.
Mangri Honhaga, also known as Mugdi Honhaga, surrendered before police in Rourkela on Monday, a day ahead of the March 31 deadline set by authorities to make India “Naxal-free”, officials said. Police described her as a Maoist cadre who had become disillusioned with the ideology.
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WHAT COPS SAY
According to officials, Honhaga was wanted in connection with a railway track blast in Renjda and an improvised explosive device (IED) attack targeting Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Banko. They said she was originally from Marangponga village in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district and had been associated with Naxal groups from a young age.
Police alleged she initially worked as a logistics supplier for Maoists in the Saranda forests along the Odisha-Jharkhand border before becoming an active cadre involved in violence and theft. They also claimed she was involved in a January 2026 encounter in Kumdi and an explosives robbery in the Banko area under Keblang police station limits.
WHAT TEEN’S FAMILY CLAIMS
Her family, however, has rejected the police account, calling it a “blatant conspiracy”.
Shaken by the allegations against his daughter, Mangal Honhaga alleged that she had been lured away from home in February by a young man from their village on the pretext of a job. The family says they lost contact with her after that and were shocked to learn she had been presented as a Naxalite who surrendered.
They further claimed that at the time of the alleged Kumdi encounter, Mangri was staying at her elder sister’s home in Marangponga due to fear of Naxalite activity in the region, raising questions over the police version.
The family alleged that falsely implicating her has damaged her identity and dignity and demanded an impartial, high-level probe. They have also sought action against the young man they accuse of taking her away and called for her safe return.
WHAT’S THE TRUTH?
The case has raised broader questions about due process and whether individuals are being labelled as Naxalites without adequate verification amid the government’s last push to root out insurgency.
However, authorities have stood by their version.
Rourkela Superintendent of Police Nitesh Wadhwani defended the police action, saying, “Mugdi may not have told her father about her Naxalite status out of fear. However, the police only secured her surrender after thorough investigation and solid information. Due to Odisha’s improved surrender policy, Naxalites from Jharkhand are increasingly approaching them to surrender.”
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
