47 Maoist cadres from Chhattisgarh surrender before Telangana Police

They also surrendered 32 firearms, including four AK 47 rifles, one LMG (Light Machine Gun), three SLR rifles and 10 bundles (100 kg) of cordtex wire used in landmines.

Hyderabad: As many as 47 underground CPI (Maoist) cadres surrendered before the Telangana Police along with 32 firearms on Saturday, April 25, a top police official said.

The surrendered Maoists include Hemla Iythu alias Vijja, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member and incharge of South Bastar Divisional Committee of CPI(Maoist), Telangana DGP B Shivadhar Reddy told reporters.

The 47 Maoists joined the mainstream as per the appeal made by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and after being attracted by the Telangana government’s Surrender and Rehabilitaion policy and the supportive approach of the state police, he said.

The 47 Maoists belong to Chattisgarh.

The 32 firearms, include four AK 47 rifles, one LMG (Light Machine Gun), three SLR rifles and 10 bundles (100 kg) of cordtex wire used in landmines.

Reddy said it could be the last of the major surrenders of Maoists and few of the remaining cadres may surrender in the future.

He said as many as 818 Maoists have surrendered before Telangana police since March 2024.

During the last two years, 334 weapons, including 58 AK 47 rifles, six LMGs, a US-made COLT rifle and an Israel- made TAVOR CQB weapon, were recovered from the Maoists.

Reddy said an investigation was underway to find how the Maoists got US and Israel made weapons.

While Telangana has already been declared Maoist-free, South Chattisgarh has almost become Maoist-free, he said.

Reddy said only four active underground cadres from Telangana remain in various formations outside the state. The number was 125 in 2023.

The DGP appealed to them to lay down arms and join the main stream.

Of the four, Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi and Pasanuri Narahari are central committee members, while Jade Ratna Bai and Vartha Shekhar are state committee members.

The PLGA (People’s Liberation Guerilla Army) battalion of the Maoists is almost non-existent now, he said.

Asked about a Maoist letter which described the recently surrendered leaders as betrayers surfacing, the DGP said there is nothing new in CPI (Maoist) terming the surrendered Maoists as betrayers. However, the genuineness of the letter is being verified. It has reportedly originated in northern states, he said.