Hyderabad: Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy on Saturday said 20 Maoist cadres surrendered in Telangana with a large cache of arms. As a result, he said the development dealt a major blow to Left-Wing Extremism in the region.
Addressing a press conference, the DGP said the surrenders marked the “end of the PLGA era” in Telangana and nearby areas. Moreover, among those who laid down arms were 17 hardcore Maoists, including senior commanders. Police also recovered 48 firearms and over 2,200 rounds of ammunition.
Senior Maoist leaders among those who surrendered
Among the surrendered was Badse Sukka alias Deva, commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army battalion. He was a close associate of slain Maoist leader Hidma. Additionally, the DGP said Sukka carried a reward of ₹75 lakh announced by Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra Police and the NIA.
Another key surrender was Kankanala Raji Reddy, a senior Telangana State Committee member of the CPI (Maoist). Consequently, only one State Committee member now remains active in Telangana, the DGP said.
The surrendered weapons included light machine guns, AK-47s and INSAS rifles. In addition, police recovered SLRs, a US-made Colt rifle, an Israeli Tavor rifle and grenade launchers. According to officials, the PLGA battalion strength has dropped from over 400 to just 66 cadres.
DGP Shivadhar Reddy said the CPI (Maoist)’s operational capacity in Telangana had weakened sharply. Therefore, he said the surrendered cadres would receive ₹1.81 crore under the State’s surrender and rehabilitation policy. Each cadre has already received ₹25,000 as immediate assistance.
Explaining the reasons, the DGP said the cadres cited ideological disillusionment and internal rifts. They also pointed to harsh living conditions, sustained pressure from security forces and separation from families. Meanwhile, he added that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had appealed to Maoists to return to the mainstream.
Finally, urging the remaining Maoists to surrender, Shivadhar Reddy assured protection and rehabilitation. He said 576 Maoists have surrendered so far, thereby signalling a decisive phase in Telangana’s fight against extremism.
రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వం, పోలీసుశాఖ పిలుపు మేరకు మావోయిస్టులు జనజీవన స్రవంతిలోకి వస్తున్నారు. గతేడాది 509 మంది సాధారణ జీవనంలోకి రాగా…ఈ ఏడాది ఆరంభంలోనే 20 మంది మావోయిస్టులు లొంగిపోయారు. వారిలో PLGA బెటాలియన్ కమాండర్ బడ్సే సుక్కాతో పాటూ రాష్ట్ర కమిటీ మెంబర్ కనకాల రాజిరెడ్డి ఉన్నారు. pic.twitter.com/tNDUUII4hK
— Telangana Police (@TelanganaCOPs) January 3, 2026