42 Maoists surrender with large cache of weapons in Telangana; PLGA ‘neutralised’, says DGP Shivadhar Reddy

Hyderabad: In a major breakthrough for anti-Maoist operations, 42 cadres of the CPI (Maoist), including senior members of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), surrendered before Telangana Police on Friday, handing over a cache of 36 firearms, ammunition and 800 grams of gold.

Senior cadres among those who surrendered

The group that surrendered before Director General of Police (DGP) B Shivadhar Reddy, IPS, includes 21 cadres of the PLGA, 11 members of the Telangana State Committee (TSC) and 10 from the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC).

Among the key figures are PLGA Battalion in charge and DKSZC member Sodi Malla alias Keshal alias Nikhil, State Committee Member Jayashankar and Peddapalli Division Committee Secretary Chapa Narayana alias Gajendar alias Madhu. DVCM Kadthi Sannu alias Manthu also figures among the prominent cadres.

Except for one Area Committee Member from Telangana, all those who surrendered are natives of Chhattisgarh.

PLGA ‘completely neutralised’

The DGP described the surrender as a decisive blow to the Maoist movement, stating that the PLGA, considered one of the three ‘magic weapons’ of the CPI (Maoist), has been completely neutralised.

“With the surrender of all leaders of the Telangana State Committee, the remaining cadre has also been neutralised. The Telangana State Committee of CPI (Maoist) no longer exists,” he said, declaring that the State is now free from armed Maoist formations.

Arms, ammunition and gold seized

As part of the surrender, the cadres handed over:

- 36 firearms, including five AK-47 rifles, four SLRs, three INSAS rifles and six .303 rifles

- 1,007 rounds of live ammunition

- Two country-made grenades

- Eight gold biscuits weighing 100 grams each (total 800 grams)

- Other weapons include a 9 mm Sten gun, pistols, revolvers, single-shot guns, a BGL gun and an air gun.

Rehabilitation and incentives

Under the Telangana government’s rehabilitation policy:

- State Committee Members (SCM) will receive Rs 20 lakh each

- DVCM/CyPCM cadres will get Rs 5 lakh

- ACM/PPCM cadres will receive Rs 4 lakh

- Party Members will get Rs 1 lakh each

Additionally, as per Union Home Ministry guidelines, incentives are provided for surrendered arms. The total eligible reward amount for this surrender stands at Rs 1.93 crore.

One Telangana native cadre has already received Rs 4 lakh, while the remaining 41 cadres from Chhattisgarh have been given interim relief of Rs 25,000 each. The balance amount will be disbursed after completion of documentation and bank formalities.

Decline of Maoist presence

The DGP credited the Special Intelligence Branch for its sustained efforts leading to the surrender.

He noted that since 2024, as many as 761 Maoist cadres have surrendered before Telangana Police, with 302 firearms recovered, indicating a steady collapse of the organisation.

Only five Telangana cadres remain

According to police, only five active underground cadres from Telangana remain, all of whom are currently operating in other States, including Chhattisgarh. Two of them are Central Committee members.

Senior Maoist leader Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi, originally from Telangana, has been away from active operations since 2007 and is considered the only significant remaining figure linked to the State.

Appeal to remaining cadres to give up arms

The police chief appealed to the remaining cadres to abandon armed struggle and join the mainstream, assuring them of benefits under the State’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.