Hyderabad, April 10 (NationPress) In a significant move, 42 members of the CPI (Maoist), including Sodi Malla, also known as Keshal, the Battalion Commander of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), have surrendered to the Telangana Police on Friday. This surrender was accompanied by the handover of 36 firearms and 800 grams of gold.

The individuals who surrendered, in front of Director General of Police (DGP) B. Shivdhar Reddy, included 21 PLGA members, 11 from the Telangana State Committee (TSC), and 10 from the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC).

Except for one Area Committee Member of TSC, all the surrendered Maoists originated from Chhattisgarh.

Key individuals among those who surrendered include Sodi Malla (also known as Nikhil), the PLGA Battalion leader, Jayashankar, a State Committee Member, Chapa Narayana (alias Gajendar or Madhu), the Secretary of JMMWP DVC, and Kadthi Sannu (alias Manthu), a DVCM.

The DGP highlighted that with these surrenders, the crucial PLGA, one of the CPI (Maoist)'s three “magic weapons,” has been effectively neutralized.

He stated, “With the surrender of all TSC leaders, the remaining TSC cadre has been eliminated, marking the end of the Telangana State Committee of CPI (Maoist). Telangana is now entirely free from the armed factions of CPI (Maoist).”

As part of the surrender process, the Maoists submitted 36 firearms, 1,007 rounds of assorted ammunition, 2 homemade grenades, and eight gold biscuits, each weighing 100 grams.

The surrendered weapons included five AK-47 rifles, four SLR rifles, three INSAS rifles, six .303 rifles, one 9mm Sten gun, two 8mm rifles, ten single-shot guns, one 9mm Pistol, two revolvers, one BGL gun, and one Air gun.

In accordance with the Telangana government's rehabilitation policy, the SCM will receive Rs 20 lakh, while DVCM / CyPCM will each get Rs 5 lakh, ACM / PPCM will receive Rs 4 lakh, and Party Members (PM) will be allocated Rs 1 lakh each.

According to MHA guidelines, rewards are available for surrendered arms. The total eligible reward amount of Rs 1.93 crore will be distributed among the 42 surrendering CPI (Maoist) members.

For the cadre from Telangana (Kunjam Idumal, alias Mahendar, ACM), Rs 4 lakh has already been disbursed through a Demand Draft/Cheque. For the remaining 41 Maoists, who are originally from Chhattisgarh, an interim relief of Rs 25,000 each has been provided, with the remaining amounts to be disbursed post-documentation and bank account setups.

The DGP praised the diligent and coordinated actions of the Special Intelligence Branch, whose ongoing professional efforts have led to the successful surrender of these Maoist cadres.

The surrender of 761 cadres to the Telangana Police and the recovery of 302 firearms since 2024 demonstrate the organization's steady decline and ultimate collapse, according to Shivdhar Reddy.

He noted that currently only five active underground cadres from Telangana remain in various formations outside the state, operating in places including Chhattisgarh. Notably, two of these individuals are Central Committee Members of CPI (Maoist).

Shivdhar Reddy mentioned that Muppala Laxman Rao (alias Ganapathi), a Central Committee Member, has been inactive in CPI (Maoist) activities since 2007, being the last significant cadre remaining from Telangana.

The police chief urged all five remaining cadres to abandon their armed struggle and reintegrate into mainstream society, taking advantage of the Telangana government’s surrender and rehabilitation policies.