"Telangana No Longer Their Karmabhoomi": Top Cop As 3 Maoist Leaders Surrender

In a significant setback for the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), three senior State Committee Members (SCMs) surrendered before the Telangana Director General of Police (DGP), B Shivadhar Reddy, in Hyderabad on Friday.

The surrenders are viewed as a significant moral victory for the state's comprehensive anti-Maoist strategy and signal the continuing decline of the extremist movement in the region.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Director General of Police (DGP) B Shivadhar Reddy said that the surrenders were a big blow to the Maoist movement and reflected the growing realisation among its cadres that the ideology is no longer relevant. He emphasised that the party has lost touch with its armed struggle and is plagued by internal conflicts and ideological rifts.

The DGP highlighted a recent statement by CPI (Maoist) Politburo member Mallojula Venugopal alias Sonu, wherein he admitted the party had lost its way. DGP Reddy called the Politburo member's statement "significant" and said it reflected a changed way of thinking within the extremist group.

"The Maoist leadership is largely in the hands of those from Telangana, with 8 out of 12 Central Committee Members being natives of the state," DGP Reddy said.

"Telangana is their Janmabhoomi (birthplace) but is no longer their Karmabhoomi (workplace) for the Maoists."

The DGP revealed the scale of the state's success, noting that up to 412 Maoists had surrendered before the Telangana police in 2025 alone. He pointed out that approximately 90% of these surrenders are Maoists from Chhattisgarh, indicating that the Telangana policy is having a major impact across state borders.

Reddy attributed the surge in surrenders to a combination of factors: the state's successful surrender and rehabilitation policy, which has been operational since 1991 and has been emulated by other states, and the intensified counter-insurgency operations like Operation Kagar along the inter-state border.

"We actively encourage surrenders, and more people are sending feelers that they want to surrender," DGP Reddy stated. He assured that the government would extend all benefits, including a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh each, to help them "rebuild their life with dignity and security".

DGP Shivadhar Reddy expressed hope that the trend would continue, confidently asserting, "Maoist extremism is definitely on the decline. We are expecting more surrenders in the near future, and there is absolutely no chance Maoists can regroup in Telangana."

He appealed to the remaining 72 underground cadres native to Telangana to join the mainstream, reiterating the Telangana Police's appeal: "poru voddhu - Ooru muddhu !! " (Reject war, embrace the village).

The surrendered leaders are:

Kunkati Venkataiah (52), known by aliases Ramesh and Vikas, is a native of Siddipet district. He who was underground for 36 years and served as the in-charge of the South Bastar Divisional Committee (DVC) under the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC).

Mogilicherla Venkatraju (45), known by aliases Raju and Chandu, is a native of Hanumakonda district. He was underground for 35 years and was the in-charge of the Chetna Natya Manch (CNM) in DKSZC.

Thodem Ganga (42), known by aliases Gangavva and Sony, is a native of Chhattisgarh. She was underground for 21 years and served as the in-charge of Janathana Sarkar, South Bastar DVC.

All three were key figures in the CPI (Maoist) structure, having spent decades in the armed struggle.