CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member Pasunoori Narahari, wife surrender to Telangana Police
Synopsis
A four-decade Maoist career ended on Tuesday when Central Committee Member Pasunoori Narahari and his wife Medara Danamma walked into Telangana Police custody. The DGP says the Eastern Regional Bureau is now on the verge of collapse — and with 822 cadres surrendered since 2024, including five Central Committee Members, the numbers suggest this is not rhetoric but an organisational unravelling.
Key Takeaways
Pasunoori Narahari , CPI (Maoist) Central Committee Member and BJSAC secretary, and wife Medara Danamma surrendered to Telangana Police on 26 May 2026 .
Anand said the surrender puts the Eastern Regional Bureau of CPI (Maoist) on the verge of collapse.
Narahari received a rehabilitation reward of ₹25 lakh ; Danamma received ₹20 lakh via demand drafts.
Since 2024 , 822 Maoist cadres — including 5 Central Committee Members and 23 State Committee Members — have surrendered in Telangana.
In 2026 alone , 264 cadres surrendered and 238 firearms were recovered in Telangana.
Only 3 active underground cadres from Telangana remain in CPI (Maoist) formations outside the state, including Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi .
Pasunoori Narahari, a Central Committee Member of the banned CPI (Maoist) and secretary of the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC), and his wife Medara Danamma, a State Committee Member, surrendered before Telangana Police on Tuesday, 26 May in Hyderabad. Director General of Police C.V. Anand produced the two senior underground leaders before the media, describing the development as a near-fatal blow to the outfit's Eastern Regional Bureau.
Who Are the Two Surrendered Leaders
Narahari, 64, also known by aliases Vishwanath and Salai Da, is a native of Telangana's Hanumakonda district. He first joined the Radical Students Union (RSU) during his degree studies before formally entering CPI (ML) People's War in 1982 under the influence of the late Puli Anjaiah, then AP State Committee Secretary. Over four decades, he rose through the ranks — from the Kunta Dalam in Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, to the Central Committee in 2017. According to police, he possessed extensive expertise in the manufacture and maintenance of firearms, mortars, rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, grenades, and booby traps, and trained cadres in weapons production and repair.
Danamma, 55, also known as Latha, Poonam, and Joba, joined the Maoist movement after her marriage to Narahari in 1988. She served in the Technical Department Team in South Bastar, Dandakaranya from 1997, was arrested in Nagpur in 2004, and rejoined the outfit after her release on bail in 2011. She was elevated to State Committee Member of the BJSAC at a special plenum in 2018.
What the DGP Said
DGP C.V. Anand stated that with this surrender, the last surviving Eastern Regional Bureau of CPI (Maoist) is on the verge of collapse. He noted that only three active underground cadres from Telangana are currently serving in various CPI (Maoist) formations outside the state — one of whom is Central Committee Member Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi. Anand appealed to the remaining cadres to abandon armed struggle and avail themselves of the government's rehabilitation benefits.
Rehabilitation Benefits and State Policy
Under the Telangana government's rehabilitation policy, Narahari has been handed a reward of ₹25 lakh and Danamma ₹20 lakh, both disbursed through demand drafts. They will additionally receive further benefits as per the state's surrender policy. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had earlier assured that health cards for all cadres who surrendered between 2024 and 2026 in Telangana are being processed and will be issued shortly.
Scale of the Anti-Maoist Drive in 2026
Since 2024, a total of 822 CPI (Maoist) cadres — including five Central Committee Members and 23 State Committee Members — have surrendered to Telangana Police. In 2026 alone, 264 underground cadres have given themselves up, and 238 firearms have been recovered in the state, marking a significant depletion of the group's armed strength. The DGP credited the Special Intelligence Branch, Telangana Greyhounds, and district police for what he described as a decisive turning point in the fight against Left-wing extremism. This is the fifth Central Committee Member to surrender since 2024, underscoring a structural erosion at the top of the organisation that analysts say is unprecedented in the movement's recent history.
Point of View
Not just a functionary. The Telangana model of combining sustained security pressure with a credible rehabilitation package is now producing results at the Central Committee level, which earlier surrenders rarely reached. The real test is whether the remaining cadres — particularly Ganapathi, who has led the organisation for decades — can be brought in through policy rather than encounter. If Telangana's 2026 numbers hold, the Left-wing extremism map of India may look fundamentally different by year-end.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Pasunoori Narahari and why is his surrender significant?
Pasunoori Narahari is a Central Committee Member of the banned CPI (Maoist) and secretary of the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC). His surrender is significant because he is one of the most senior Maoist leaders to give up arms in recent years, and police say it pushes the Eastern Regional Bureau of the outfit to the verge of collapse.
What rehabilitation benefits did the surrendered Maoists receive?
Under the Telangana government's rehabilitation policy, Narahari received ₹25 lakh and his wife Danamma received ₹20 lakh, both disbursed through demand drafts. They will also receive additional benefits including health cards being processed for all cadres who surrendered between 2024 and 2026.
How many Maoist cadres have surrendered in Telangana since 2024?
A total of 822 CPI (Maoist) cadres have surrendered in Telangana since 2024, including five Central Committee Members and 23 State Committee Members. In 2026 alone, 264 underground cadres have surrendered and 238 firearms have been recovered.
Who are the remaining active Maoist cadres from Telangana?
According to DGP C.V. Anand, only three active underground cadres from Telangana are currently serving in CPI (Maoist) formations outside the state. One of them is Central Committee Member Muppala Laxman Rao, also known as Ganapathi.
What was Medara Danamma's role in CPI (Maoist)?
Medara Danamma, 55, was a State Committee Member of the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC). She joined the Maoist movement after marrying Narahari in 1988, served in the Technical Department in Chhattisgarh, was arrested in Nagpur in 2004, and rejoined the outfit after bail in 2011 before being promoted to SCM in 2018.
