In a major breakthrough, the Telangana Police on Saturday announced the surrender of 37 underground cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation. The group included three high-ranking State Committee Members (SCM), marking a significant blow to the outfit’s leadership.
Addressing the media, Telangana Director General of Police Shivadhar Reddy said: “37 Maoists from the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation have surrendered. Among them, 3 are important and senior members. Currently, 59 people are underground in Telangana, and among them, 70-80 per cent are over 50 years old. We are calling upon them to surrender and join the mainstream.”
The senior leaders who joined the mainstream were identified as Koyyada Sambaiah alias Azad (49), who had been underground for 31 years, Appasi Narayana alias Ramesh (70), a veteran operative underground for 32 years, Muchaki Somada alias Erra (42), a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC).
The three state committee members carried a cash reward of ₹20 lakh each, while some cadres carried rewards of ₹4 lakh to ₹5 lakh each.
In what police are describing as a major setback to the Maoists' military capabilities, seven of the surrendered cadres from the KM DVC (presumably a divisional committee) handed over an arsenal of eight firearms. The recovered weapons included one AK-47 rifle, two SLRs, four .303 rifles, and a G3 rifle, along with over 340 rounds of live ammunition.
Police officials highlighted that the organisation is facing a severe decline in strength and mobility due to sustained pressure from security forces and the disruption of key networks. They added that ideological differences and internal rifts have fuelled disillusionment among the cadres.
According to police data, 2025 has been a pivotal year, with a total of 465 underground cadres returned to civilian life. While 59 native Telangana cadres remain underground, police revealed that five out of the eight Central Committee Members (CCMs) of the party are from Telangana, indicating the state's historical significance to the organisation’s top hierarchy.
Following the surrender, the police distributed a total reward amount of ₹1.41 crore to the cadres based on their rank and the weapons surrendered.
The surrender comes shortly after an appeal by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on October 21st, urging Maoists to participate in the state's development.
Reiterating their appeal to the Maoists, the police assured that all surrendered cadres would receive full support under the state's rehabilitation policy to be able to rebuild their lives with dignity.
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