Has Top Maoist Commander Barse Deva Surrendered to Telangana Police?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Barse Deva has surrendered to Telangana Police.
- Fifteen other Maoists also laid down their arms.
- The surrender is seen as a strategic victory for law enforcement.
- Deva was a key figure in the PLGA.
- This marks a significant decline for the CPI-Maoist organization.
Hyderabad, Jan 2 (NationPress) In a significant setback for the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, prominent Maoist leader Barse Deva has officially surrendered to the Telangana Police.
Deva, a senior commander of Battalion No. 1 of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), relinquished his weapons in front of Telangana Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy.
Alongside Deva, fifteen other Maoists also surrendered. Hailing from Chhattisgarh, he was regarded as a pivotal figure within the Maoist military hierarchy.
The surrender took place on Thursday near the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border, after which they were transported to Hyderabad.
The Telangana DGP is expected to provide further details about Deva's surrender in a news briefing scheduled for Saturday.
This event marks a substantial strategic triumph for law enforcement agencies, as Deva led the most elite combat unit of the banned CPI-Maoist.
Originating from Puvarti village in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, Deva became the most significant commander of PLGA after the death of Madvi Hidma in a police encounter in Andhra Pradesh in November 2025.
Hidma was a Central Committee member of CPI-Maoist and the commandant of PLGA Battalion No. 1. He, along with his wife Raje and four others, perished during an exchange of fire with security forces in the Andhra-Odisha border area on November 18.
Deva was allegedly the architect behind numerous attacks targeting security forces within the Dandakaranya forest zone and had a substantial bounty on his head.
In 2025 alone, 509 underground CPI-Maoist members surrendered to the Telangana Police, which included two Central Committee Members (CCMs), 11 State Committee Members (SCMs), and three Divisional Committee Secretaries (DVCS).
Of the total surrendered, 483 were from Chhattisgarh, 24 from Telangana, and one each from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
The DGP mentioned on December 30 that these surrenders highlight the ongoing decline of the organization.