Hyderabad, Feb 24 (NationPress) In a significant setback for the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, four prominent Maoist leaders, including Thippiri Tirupati, also known as Devuji, and Malla Raji Reddy, recognized as Sangram, have surrendered to the Telangana Police, as reported by officials on Tuesday.

CPI-Maoist Central Committee Member and Polit Bureau Member, Devuji, who also holds the position of Central Military Commission (CMC) In-charge and is colloquially referred to as Kumma Dada, along with Central Committee Member Malla Raji Reddy, Telangana State Committee (TSC) Secretary Bade Chokka Rao (also known as Damodar or Jagan), and State Committee Member Nune Narsimha Reddy (known as Ganganna or Sannu Dada) were presented to the media by the Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) B. Shivadhar Reddy.

Of the surrendered leaders, three hail from Telangana, while Narasimha Reddy is from the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh.

Devuji, aged 62, originally from Korutla in Jagtial district, has spent 44 years underground. He stated that his surrender was prompted by health issues, expressing his intention to engage in public service and address community concerns through lawful means.

The DGP indicated that the surrender of Devuji and Raji Reddy marks the collapse of the last remaining top organizational structure of the CPI-Maoist. Furthermore, the Telangana State Committee of the group has effectively been rendered inactive due to the surrenders of Chokka Rao and Narasimha Reddy.

Devuji has been on the run for 44 years, while Malla Reddy has evaded capture for 46 years. Chokka Rao and Narasimha Reddy have been involved in the Maoist movement for 28 and 36 years, respectively.

Devuji married Arike Jaini (alias Srujana) from Maharashtra in 1991, who was a CPI (Maoist) member in the Perimeli Dalam at the time of their marriage. She advanced to the status of Regional Committee Member but tragically died in 2020 during a confrontation with police in Gadchiroli district.

His political journey began in Junior College at Korutla, where he was drawn to revolutionary ideology and joined the Radical Students Union (RSU). In January 1982, he became part of the CPI-ML People’s War and was subsequently dispatched to Dandakaranya in April 1984 alongside Malla Raji Reddy to function within an armed squad.

By 2017, Devuji had taken the reins as CMC In-charge and was later elected to the Politburo, a role he continues to fulfill. Following the surrender of Mallojula Venugopal (alias Sonu), a CPI-Maoist Politburo member, Devuji became the official spokesperson, operating under the name 'Abhay'.

Malla Raji Reddy, aged 76, comes from Shastrulapalle village in Peddapally district. He began his political activism by joining the RSU in 1974 after completing his intermediate studies in 1971. He faced arrest during the Korutla and Jagtial incidents in 1976 but was released in September 1977. He was apprehended again in 2007 while engaged in organizational efforts in Kerala and was released in 2009, only to go underground once more.

In 2022, he was appointed to lead the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DSZC) and continues in that capacity.

Chokka Rao, at 74, is from Kalvapalli village in Mulugu district of Telangana, while Narsimha Reddy, aged 62, is originally from Vallur village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.

The Telangana DGP noted that these senior Maoist figures have rejoined society in response to an appeal made by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy last year, urging CPI-Maoist members to abandon violence and reintegrate into the community to contribute to the state's development and welfare.

He remarked that ideological conflicts, internal divisions, and a growing sense of disillusionment have significantly weakened the organization. “This choice reflects a positive, conscious, and pragmatic answer to the state government’s plea and a decisive rejection of extremist paths,” he stated.

Both Devuji and Raji Reddy were each carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh, while Chokka Rao and Narasimha Reddy had rewards of Rs 20 lakh each. They are eligible for the reward as per the Telangana government's rehabilitation scheme.

Total surrenders have reached 591 since 2024, including four Central Committee Members and 16 State Committee Members, according to the State DGP. He mentioned that only 11 underground CPI-Maoist operatives from Telangana now remain, with just two Area Committee members currently active in the Telangana State Committee; the rest are operating in other states, including Chhattisgarh.

Of the three Central Committee Members of the CPI-Maoist, two are originally from Telangana, the DGP confirmed.

The DGP called on all remaining underground CPI-Maoist members, especially the 11 from Telangana, to forsake violence, return to their home communities, reunite with their families, and engage positively in the state's development.