Top Maoist Commander Deva, 19 Cadres Surrender with High-Power Weapons in Telangana

Director General of Police Shivadhar Reddy said on Monday, " The operational reach of these groups has been severely neutralised; our forces have applied such consistent pressure that their previous freedom of movement has been entirely eliminated."

"While most of the recovered arsenal--including AK-47s and LMGs-consists of stolen police equipment, we are specifically investigating the origin of an Israeli-manufactured Tavor CQB found in their possession", he added.

Last month, in a major setback to the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation, forty-one underground cadres, including six senior functionaries, surrendered before the Telangana Police. The surrender took place in the presence of the Director General of Police (DGP), Telangana.

Police said the "surrendered cadres included leaders of Company Platoon Committee Member and Divisional Committee Member ranks, indicating a significant erosion of the Maoist group's organisational strength and leadership credibility". Along with the cadres, twenty-four firearms and a large cache of ammunition were also handed over, substantially weakening the outfit's operational capability in the region.

The weapons surrendered comprised one INSAS light machine gun, three AK-47 rifles, five SLRs, seven INSAS rifles, one BL gun, four .303 rifles, one single-shot rifle and two air guns, besides 733 live rounds of ammunition of various calibres and eight BGL shells.

According to police officials, the surrender followed an appeal made by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in October 2025, urging Maoist cadres to abandon violence and participate in the state's development process. The surrendered cadres cited multiple reasons for their decision, including sustained pressure from security forces, shrinking logistical support, internal rifts within the organisation, ideological disillusionment and harsh living conditions in forest areas. Many also pointed to arbitrary deployments to unfamiliar regions, resulting in severe hardship and isolation from families.

Under the Telangana government's rehabilitation policy, financial assistance ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakhs will be provided based on rank. For the 41 cadres who surrendered on Friday, a total amount of Rs 1.46 crore will be disbursed after completion of documentation. Interim relief of Rs 25,000 each has already been disbursed, police said.

The DGP said that in 2025 alone, 509 Maoist cadres of various ranks, including central and state committee members, had surrendered before the Telangana Police, reflecting the steady decline of the extremist organisation.

Appealing to remaining underground cadres, especially those native to Telangana, the DGP urged them to reject violence, surrender their weapons and return to their villages. He assured them of complete protection and support under the state's comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration programme, enabling them to rebuild their lives with dignity and security.

- ANI