'Telangana completely free of Naxals', says DGP Shivadhar Reddy as 42 Maoists surrender

The DGP said, 'Overall, the efforts of the Telangana Greyhounds and District Police, led by the Special Intelligence Branch in 2026, mark a decisive turning point in the fight against extremism.'

Hyderabad: In a landmark development, 42 cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit surrendered before Telangana Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy on Friday, effectively dismantling what the organisation itself calls one of its three "magic weapons" the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA).

Among those who laid down arms was PLGA Battalion Commander and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) member Sodi Malla, also known as Keshal, who surrendered along with 36 firearms including five AK-47 rifles, 1,007 rounds of ammunition, two hand grenades, and 800 gm of gold.

The remaining members of the Telangana State Committee (TSC) also surrendered as part of the group. DGP Shivadhar Reddy declared that with the surrender of all TSC leaders and cadre, the Telangana State Committee of CPI (Maoist) had ceased to exist. "Telangana is now totally free from the armed formations of CPI (Maoist)," he said.

"Only five active underground cadres from Telangana remain in various formations across the country outside Telangana. All five are operating in other states, including Chhattisgarh, and two among them are Central Committee Members of CPI (Maoist). With Ganapathi away from active CPI (Maoist) activity since 2007 though a nominal CCM considering the history of PW/CPI (Maoist), he is the only significant cadre left from Telangana," said Shivadhar Reddy.

He added that the surrender of top and mid-level leadership including CCMs, SCMs, and an RCM - clearly signals a decisive blow to the organisational structure of CPI (Maoist).

In addition, 206 firearms have been recovered in Telangana in 2026 alone, marking a significant depletion of the group's armed strength.

"Overall, the efforts of the Telangana Greyhounds and District Police, led by the Special Intelligence Branch in 2026, mark a decisive turning point in the fight against extremism. The surrender of senior cadres, including top leadership earlier in 2026, had already pushed Maoism to its last stage of survival. With today's surrender, it is declared that the entire Telangana State Committee has been effectively neutralised, eliminating its organisational presence in the state."

"Telangana is completely free of armed components and Naxalism. Today's surrender of the remaining underground cadres of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion, one of CPI (Maoist)'s most critical armed wings along with their sophisticated firearms, marks the complete annihilation of the PLGA," the DGP said.