In what is being seen as yet another significant blow to the Maoist movement, Barse Deva, a high-ranking commander of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, considered the most deadly military wing of maoists, has formally surrendered before the Telangana Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy.
Barse Deva, long considered a central figure in the Maoist military hierarchy, was reportedly the mastermind behind several lethal ambushes in the Dandakaranya forest belt and carries a heavy bounty.
Barse Deva's surrender is viewed as a major strategic victory for security forces, as he commanded the most elite fighting unit of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) party.
By choosing to join the mainstream, Deva effectively decapitates the military strength of the rebels along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border.
The state government has highlighted this as a validation of their rehabilitation policies, urging other underground members to follow suit and trade violence for a peaceful life within civil society. In 2025, 509 maoist cadre surrendered in Telangana.
Under the Telangana Government's rehabilitation policy, Barse Deva will receive immediate financial assistance, medical care, and support for reintegration into civil society. The police have ensured his safety, citing that many cadres fear retaliation from the party for defecting.
Barse Deva is from Puvarti village in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, to which Hidma also belonged.
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