Hyderabad, Feb 22 (NationPress) The top Maoist figure Thippiri Tirupati, known as Devji, has allegedly surrendered to the Telangana Police.

This event marks a significant setback for the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), as sources indicate that Devji turned himself in within the Asifabad forests located in the united Adilabad district.

Alongside Devji, sixteen other Maoists also laid down their arms. Devji had been at the helm of the group following the demise of Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, who was killed in a confrontation with security forces in Chhattisgarh last May.

While the police have yet to authenticate the surrender, it is anticipated that the departed Maoists will be presented to the media on Monday.

Devji was on the list of the most wanted Maoist leaders, originating from Peddapalli district in Telangana. He served as a Central Committee Member and a Police Bureau Member of CPI (Maoist), with a bounty of Rs 25 lakh on his head.

He was one of the 17 Maoist leaders from Telangana holding significant roles in various CPI(Maoist) committees throughout the nation.

Just last month, the Telangana Director General of Police, B. Shivadhar Reddy, made a public appeal for them to surrender.

The DGP assured them of rehabilitation as promised by the government.

With the campaign “no more conflict, love your village,” the Telangana Police have urged them to abandon their underground activities and reintegrate into society.

The Telangana Police have been actively working towards facilitating these Maoists' surrender.

In a remarkable occurrence during 2025, 576 Maoists surrendered to the Telangana Police, marking an unprecedented moment since the inception of the People's War (now CPI-Maoist) in 1980.

In November of the previous year, some members of Devji’s security detail were among 50 Maoists detained across five districts in neighboring Andhra Pradesh. These arrests occurred shortly after an encounter on November 18, which led to the deaths of high-ranking Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, his spouse Raje, and four others.

Following Hidma's elimination, seven additional Maoists, including explosives expert Metturi Joga Rao, alias Tech Shankar, were killed in the same area.

Civil liberties organizations have claimed that both Devji and another notable Maoist, Malla Raji Reddy, are currently in police custody. A habeas corpus petition has also been filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, demanding the state police to produce Devji and Raji Reddy in court.

However, the Andhra Pradesh Police informed the High Court that neither Devji nor Raji Reddy is in their custody.