3 Maoist leaders surrender after 3 decades underground; Telangana’s new DGP hopes trend picks up

Move comes amid divisions among Naxals over whether to give up arms as security operations intensify in Chhattisgarh

Written by Sreenivas Janyala

Hyderabad | October 10, 2025 08:17 PM IST

3 min read

K Venkati alias Vikas, M Raju alias C N M Chandu, and Gangava alias Soni — all Telangana state committee members of the banned outfit — surrendered before the state’s newly appointed Director General of Police (DGP) B Shivadhar Reddy. (Photo: X/JacobBhoompag)

Three senior Maoist leaders from Telangana surrendered before the police on Friday — a setback for the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), already reeling under intensified anti-insurgency operations in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

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With Reddy taking charge, the state is expected to witness a renewed push for Maoist leaders and cadres to surrender. “Of course, there is a drive to make them give up arms. We are asking them to surrender and join the mainstream. More surrenders are expected in the coming days. It’s time because the movement has weakened,” Reddy said.

The development comes amid growing divisions within the Maoist ranks over whether to lay down arms in the face of heavy security operations in Chhattisgarh. Last month, Mallojula Venugopal Rao — the outfit’s ideological head and chief spokesperson — wrote a letter calling for the “cessation of armed struggle” to “save the party”. However, DGP Reddy said Rao has not yet reached out to the Telangana Police.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has vowed to “end” the Maoist insurgency by March 2026.

For Reddy, the latest success marks a culmination of years of counter-insurgency work. As the head of the anti-Naxal Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), he was instrumental in infiltrating the Maoist network in undivided Andhra Pradesh and weakening it through coordinated operations by the elite Greyhounds unit. As a young Additional Superintendent of Police, Reddy had himself served as a squadron commander in the Greyhounds.

In recognition of his intelligence work, Reddy received the Asadharan Aasuchana Kushalta Padak in 2018 and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2020.

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Under his leadership, the state achieved what was once thought impossible — stemming Maoist violence. In December 2011, as Deputy Inspector General of Police (SIB), Reddy announced that the year had recorded the lowest Maoist-related deaths and offences since 1980 — seven civilian deaths and no police casualties, with 41 Left-wing extremism cases registered, including six murders.

After Telangana’s formation, Reddy was appointed the state’s first Intelligence Chief as Inspector General of Police. He later served as Additional DGP (Intelligence) before being promoted as DGP in August 2024. On September 26 this year, he formally took over as the state’s Director General of Police.

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