Top Maoist Leader Surrenders in Telangana, Major Blow to CPI (Maoist) Insurgency: DGP

The surrender of a senior Maoist commander along with 20 armed cadres has delivered a crippling blow to the CPI (Maoist) insurgency, Telangana’s Director General of Police Shivadhar Reddy said on Saturday, calling the development a turning point in the fight against left-wing extremism.

High-ranking Maoist leader Badse Sukka alias Deva, commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion, surrendered before Telangana police along with 19 underground cadres. Officials said the surrender has severely weakened both the PLGA’s operational capability and the Telangana State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Addressing the media, DGP Shivadhar Reddy said the PLGA battalion had long been regarded as the “pride” of the Maoist movement and formed the backbone of its armed operations across Telangana, Chhattisgarh and adjoining regions.

The surrender comes shortly after the killing of top Maoist leader Hidma in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh. According to the DGP, Deva was second only to Hidma in influence and popularity in the tribal belts of Chhattisgarh, making his surrender a decisive psychological and strategic setback for the insurgent group.

Police said the surrendered cadres also handed over a large cache of prohibited weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles, self-loading rifles (SLRs), US-made Colt rifles and an Israeli-made Tavor CQB assault weapon. Officials revealed that these weapons were looted during ambushes on police patrols, raids on security camps and attacks on police stations over the years.

In a significant revelation, the Telangana DGP said Maoists operated a dedicated technical wing responsible for manufacturing weapons, grenade launchers and improvised ammunition. For the first time, security forces recovered specialised ammunition designed to target helicopters, highlighting the evolving threat once posed by the outfit.

The police chief said sustained intelligence-driven operations, improved coordination between state police forces, and focused development initiatives in tribal areas had steadily eroded Maoist influence, pushing senior leaders to abandon armed struggle.

“As of now, only 17 Maoist cadres originally from Telangana, including four central committee members, are believed to be active outside the state,” Reddy said, indicating that the insurgency’s footprint in Telangana has been reduced to its weakest level in decades.

He added that the surrender demonstrated growing disillusionment within Maoist ranks and reaffirmed the effectiveness of the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, which offers legal relief, financial assistance and vocational support to those who renounce violence.

Security officials said investigations are ongoing to identify remaining underground networks and logistics channels, while urging any remaining cadres to lay down arms and join the mainstream.

The surrender is being viewed as one of the most significant breakthroughs against Maoist insurgency in recent years, strengthening the government’s claim that left-wing extremism is in its final phase in Telangana and neighbouring states.