Hyderabad: A Maoist couple, members of the banned Communist Party of India, surrendered before Hyderabad police on Tuesday. Major political indifference and health issues were the reasons for them to surrender, according to the police.

The police also said that the couple observed that the CPI (Maoist) was not changing its strategy and tactics according to the evolving conditions and there was no scope for educated youth to work in the team, which they called as one of the major reasons to surrender.

Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar said Maoist couple Koti Purushotham alias MK, 68, and his wife Koti Vinodhini, 63 surrendered on Tuesday.

Purushotham joined the People’s War Group in 1981 and married Vinodhini a year later. Vinodhini joined the group and they both became underground cadres, recruiting around 60 people. They were arrested in March 1991 and then released three months later in exchange for the release of an abducted Youth Congress leader.

A cash reward advertised for the couple will be given to them along with other benefits. Purushotham and Vinodhini carried cash rewards of Rs 8 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively. The police also said that Vinodhini is ailing and is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and chronic myeloid leukemia.