- Senior CPI (Maoist) leader Pasunoori Narahari and his wife surrendered in Hyderabad
- Narahari held key Maoist roles and was a central committee member since 2017
- He was skilled in arms manufacturing and training Maoist cadres in technical operations
Senior CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member and Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee Secretary Pasunoori Narahari, alias Vishwanath, alias Salai Da, and his wife Medara Danamma, alias Latha, alias Poonam, alias Joba, surrendered before Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) CV Anand in Hyderabad on Tuesday. The surrender of the top commander is seen as a major setback to the banned Maoist organisation's last surviving Eastern Regional Bureau.
Narahari, 64, is a native of Somidi village in Telangana's Hanumakonda district. He joined the Maoist movement in 1982 after being influenced by Radical Students Union activities and senior Maoist leader Puli Anjaiah. He later became part of CPI (ML) People's War operations in Chhattisgarh's Sukma region.
During his four-decade underground career, Narahari held several key positions in the Maoist organisation. He worked in technical and arms units, served in South Bastar and Nagpur technical teams, and later became the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee secretary. In 2017, he was promoted to central committee member.
Police said Narahari had expertise in the manufacturing and maintenance of firearms, rockets, grenades, mortars and booby traps. He was also involved in training Maoist cadres in weapons production and technical operations.
His wife, Danamma, 55, a native of the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, was also a senior Maoist leader and State Committee Member in the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee. She worked in Maoist technical and organisational wings for several years and was earlier arrested in Nagpur in 2004 before rejoining the organisation after securing bail in 2011.
Officials said Narahari was carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh, while Danamma carried a reward of Rs 20 lakh. The Telangana government handed over the eligible reward amounts to the surrendered leaders under its rehabilitation policy.
Police officials described the surrender as a significant blow to the Maoist movement, especially to the Eastern Regional Bureau and Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee, which have witnessed major setbacks due to encounters, arrests and surrenders this year.
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