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Senior Maoist leader and central committee member Ramder, wanted in 61 cases, surrenders in Chhattisgarh

With this surrender, only three CCM members and two politburo members remain active in the banned outfit, but none in Chhattisgarh.

2 min readBalodUpdated: Dec 8, 2025 02:47 PM IST

Ramder is a tribal Maoist leader born in Majji Mendri under the jurisdiction of Bedre police station in Bijapur district. (Express Photo)

Ramder alias Soma, 65, a Central Committee Member (CCM) of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) wanted in 61 criminal cases, Monday morning surrendered before the Chhattisgarh Police in Rajnandgaon district along with 11 other Maoists.

With this surrender, only three CCM members and two politburo members remain active in the banned outfit, but none in Chhattisgarh.

Ramder was in charge of the Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Confluence (MCC) zone. In 2017, police learnt that Maoists were trying to expand their network outside Bastar through the MMC, which covers forested pockets in districts such as Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh, Gondia in Maharashtra, and northern Rajnandgaon and parts of then Chief Minister Raman Singh’s home district Kabirdham and Mungeli in Chhattisgarh.

Ramder is a tribal Maoist leader born in Majji Mendri under the jurisdiction of Bedre police station in Bijapur district. He is among the few leaders who adapted as both a military and political leader.

The senior tribal leader surrendered a stolen AK-47. (Express Photo)

Others who surrendered include Divisional Committee members Chandu Usendi and Janki. In all, three stolen AK-47 rifles, three INSAS rifles, a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), a carbine and two .303 rifles were recovered from the Maoists.

The three CCMs left in the outfit are Ganesh Uikey (based in Odisha); Mallaraji Reddy alias Sangram, based in Chhattisgarh but currently out of state; and Analda alias Toofan, based in Jharkhand. Among the three politburo members, Thippari Tirupati alias Devji and former general secretary Mupalla Laxmanarao Ganapathy have fled Chhattisgarh, while Mishir Besra alias Bhaskar is based in Jharkhand.

This year, top Maoist leader Basva Raju alias Nambala Keshava Rao, who served as general secretary of CPI (Maoist), and nine CC members including military commander Hidma, were gunned down by security forces. While Basva Raju and four CC members were killed in Chhattisgarh, two were killed in Jharkhand and two in Andhra Pradesh. Politburo members Venugopal Rao alias Sonu and Pulluri Prasad Rao alias Chandranna surrendered before the police.

Jayprakash S Naidu

Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More

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