Thirty-seven members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), including three state committee members, surrendered before the Telangana Police in Hyderabad on Saturday.
The police said that its “continuous efforts” had led to Maoists “joining the mainstream of public life on a large scale”.
The Maoists handed over eight firearms, including one AK-47 rifle, two Self-Loading rifles, four .303 rifles and a G3 rifle, along with 346 rounds of ammunition, The New Indian Express reported.
Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy said the Maoists’ decision to surrender was influenced by sustained security operations, ideological differences and internal rifts.
Among those who surrendered were state committee members Koyyada Sambaiah alias Azad, Appasi Narayana alias Ramesh and Muchaki Somada alias Erra, each carrying a reward of Rs 20 lakh, The Indian Express reported.
Sambaiah and Ramesh had been underground for more than three decades, The New Indian Express reported.
They were each given the Rs 20 lakh reward through cheques at the time of their surrender, in line with guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, under which the bounty announced on Maoists is transferred to them to support their rehabilitation.
In total, Rs 1.4 crore was distributed among the 37 persons who surrendered, the newspaper reported.
Police data showed that 465 underground Maoists have surrendered in Telangana so far in 2025, including two central committee members and 11 state committee members, The New Indian Express reported.
However, 59 cadres who are from Telangana are still active underground, The Indian Express reported.
The Union government has vowed to end Maoism by March 31, 2026.
Last month, the Union home ministry said that the number of districts across different states affected by “Left-wing extremism” has come down to 11 from 18 in March.
In 2025, the number of “most affected” districts has also come down from six to three, it added. These are Bijapur, Sukma and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh.
Also read:
Skill training for surrendered Maoists or forced detention by Chhattisgarh Police?
Rs 5 crore bounty: Are rewards making anti-Maoist operations more deadly?
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