Three Maoist leaders surrender before police in Telangana

Hyderabad: In a significant blow to the banned CPI Maoists, three seniors, all state-level committee members who have been underground for decades surrendered before Telangana DGP B Shivadhar Reddy on Friday.

The surrendered cadres are Kunkati Venkataiah alias Vikas, underground for 36 years; Mogilicherla Venkatraju alias Raju, underground for 35 years; and Thodem Ganga alias Sony, underground for 21 years.

Kunkati Venkataiah, 52, hails from Kutigal village, Maddur mandal, Siddipet district. He served as a State Committee Member and Secretary/In-Charge of the South Bastar division under the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of CPI Maoists.

In May 2025, due to deteriorating health, he decided to dissociate from the organisation to focus on recovery and a peaceful life with his family, availing government rehabilitation assistance.

Venkatraju, 45, from Thatikayala village, Dharmasagar mandal, Hanumakonda district, was a State Committee Member and the in-charge of the Chetna Natya Manch (CNM) in DKSZC. He cited deteriorating eyesight, ideological differences, and leadership disputes within the CPI Maoists as reasons for leaving. He surrendered along with his wife, Thodem Ganga.

Ganga, 42, originally from Dharampeta village, Kistaram Police Station limits, Sukuma district, Chhattisgarh, was also a State Committee Member and part of the Janathana Sarkar of DKSZC, serving as the In-Charge in the South Bastar division. The couple married in 2019.

Each of the three cadres was carrying a Rs 20 lakh cash reward, which has now been handed over to them through Demand Drafts. They will also receive further support under the Telangana government’s rehabilitation policy for surrendered cadres.

DGP Shivadhar Reddy reaffirmed the Telangana Police Department’s commitment to swiftly providing all benefits to help the surrendered cadres rebuild their lives with dignity and security.

He highlighted that in 2025 alone, inspired by the comprehensive rehabilitation strategy of Telangana Police, 412 underground cadres including one Central Committee Member, four State Committee Members, two Divisional Committee Secretaries, eight Divisional Committee Members, and 35 Area Committee Members have surrendered to embrace peaceful lives with their families.

Currently, 72 underground CPI Maoist cadres are natives of Telangana. Of the 12 Central Committee Members, eight hail from Telangana.

“If underground Maoists return to their native places and join the mainstream, the Telangana Government ensures all benefits including immediate relief and ongoing support under its rehabilitation schemes to enable them to live independently and with dignity,” added DGP Shivadhar Reddy.