Hyderabad: In a major setback to the CPI (Maoist), 41 Maoists surrendered before Telangana Director General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy on Friday, handing over 24 firearms, most of which were looted from security forces. The surrendered cadres included senior leaders and field-level operatives from Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
Among them were Erragolla Ravi alias Santosh, the State Committee Secretary from Kamareddy, Kanikarapu Prabhanjan from Mancherial, six Divisional Committee Members from Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and two Central Vision Commanders. The remaining members are mostly from Chhattisgarh.
Surrenders follow CM’s appeal on Police Martyrs’ Day
Addressing the media, the DGP linked the mass surrender to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s appeal made on Police Martyrs’ Day. He noted that 509 Maoists have surrendered in Telangana so far in 2025, reflecting the organisational decline of the CPI (Maoist).
According to the DGP, Maoist leaders recently ordered cadres to shift to new zones by March 31, 2026, in line with the Government of India’s deadline to eliminate Left Wing Extremism. However, fear of unfamiliar terrain, shortage of supplies, and earlier high-level surrenders have demoralised lower-rung cadres, pushing them to surrender.
Weapons recovered, monetary aid promised
The 41 surrendered Maoists carried a combined reward of ₹1.46 crore. The State Government will provide financial assistance based on rank, while the Centre will compensate those who surrendered with weapons. An immediate relief of ₹25,000 per person has also been announced.
The DGP said the recovered weapons, largely looted from police and armed forces, will be returned to their original units after verification. Serial numbers will be shared with police departments nationwide.
Currently, only 54 Maoists from Telangana remain underground, and just six of them are still active within the State.
Telangana Police renews call to abandon violence
Reiterating the government’s appeal, the DGP urged all remaining Maoists to surrender and rejoin society under the State’s rehabilitation scheme. He assured full protection and support for those who choose to return to mainstream life.
Echoing the Telangana Police slogan, he said: “పోరు వద్దు!! – ఊరుముదు!!” (No more violence – Return to your village!)
The police said the surrender policy aims to help former Maoists reintegrate and live peacefully with dignity and purpose.