Hyderabad: Three senior leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist), each carrying a ₹20 lakh reward, surrendered before the Telangana Police on Friday. They laid down arms in the presence of Director General of Police (DGP) B. Shivadhar Reddy.
The leaders were identified as Kunkati Venkataiah (52), Secretary of the South Bastar Division under the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee; Mogilicherla Venkatraju (45), in charge of the outfit’s cultural wing; and Thodam Ganga (42), a member of the Janathana Sarkar committee in the same region.
Telangana Maoist surrender shows deepening internal rifts
Venkataiah and Venkatraju, from Siddipet and Hanumakonda districts, had lived underground for 35 years. Ganga, a native of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh, had worked with the outfit for 21 years. According to police, poor health and internal disputes led them to surrender.
Venkataiah said the CPI (Maoist) had been debating changes to match new social and political realities. The DGP, meanwhile, handed over the reward money through demand drafts. He also assured that all benefits under the state’s rehabilitation policy would reach them soon.
DGP Reddy said the surrender of senior Maoists is a moral victory for Telangana’s long-term anti-Maoist strategy. So far in 2025, a total of 412 cadres have surrendered to the state police. This includes one Central Committee Member, four State Committee Members, and several divisional and area leaders.
He added that 72 underground cadres of the CPI (Maoist) are Telangana natives. Notably, eight of the outfit’s twelve Central Committee Members also hail from the state. Therefore, he appealed to the remaining members to return home and rebuild their lives under government support.
The DGP assured that every surrendered cadre will receive relief, livelihood aid, and full rehabilitation to lead a safe and independent life.