Telangana Is A Maoist-Free State, Says DGP
42 Maoists surrender to police in Telangana
Hyderabad: Director-General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy on Friday said that Telangana was now a Maoist-free state, following the surrender of 42 cadres, and appealed to the top Maoist Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi to lay down arms and surrender.
Speaking at the press conference, the DGP announced that 42 Maoist cadre members surrendered before the Telangana police along with 36 firearms and 800 grams of gold, among them Sodi Malla, alias Keshal or Nikhil, in-charge of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PGLA), and a member of the Dandakaranya special zonal committee (DKSZC).
“Out of the total 42 surrendered cadres, 21 were from the PGLA, 11 from the Telangana State Committee (TSC) and 10 from the DKSZC,” the DGP said. While 41 of the surrendered Maoists were from Chhattisgarh, 23-year-old Kunjam Idumal alias Mahendar belongs to Telangana’s Mulugu district.
“After the surrender of all the leaders of the Maoists’ Telangana state committee, the remaining cadre have been neutralised, and the TSC of Maoists no longer exists,” the DGP said. “Telangana is now totally free from the armed formations of Maoists.”
“In 2023, we had 125 Telangana-native Maoists across different positions. Now, there are five members. Ganapathi, central committee member Pasanuri Narahari alias Santosh, state committee members Jade Ratna Bai alias Sujatha and Vartha Shekhar alias Mangthu and area committee member Rangaboina Bhagya alias Rupi are active. I am appealing to them to lay down their arms, surrender and join the civil society”, the DGP added.
Among the Maoists who surrendered, two were state committee or politburo committee members, five were divisional committee members or city party committee members, 18 were area committee members or party platoon committee members (PPCM), and 17 were party members.
Shivadhar Reddy said that all measures would be taken to rehabilitate the surrendered Maoists, and the government would disburse a cumulative ₹1.93 crore to them. As per the orders of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, the DGP said all the surrendered Maoists will be provided with health cards irrespective of their native place.
Among the of arms and its ammunition that the cadres surrendered were five AK-47 rifles along with 16 magazines, four SLR rifles with 10 magazines; three INSAS rifles with eight magazines’ a 9mm sten gun with one magazine; six .303 rifles with six magazines; two 8mm rifles with two magazines, one 9 mm automatic pistol with a magazine; two .38 revolvers, 10 country-made single shot guns, one BGL gun, one air gun, 12-bore cartridges with 31 rounds of ammunition, one .32 SA ball long and two country made grenades were surrendered by the Maoists, with more than 36 firearms, 44 magazines and 1007 rounds of live ammunition. They also surrendered 800 grams of gold biscuits to the authorities.
