Nine Maoists including AOB leader Narayana Rao surrender in Andhra Pradesh

Nine Maoists, including Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zone Committee secretary C Narayana Rao, surrendered before Andhra Pradesh police. DGP Harish Kumar Gupta said sustained intelligence-based operations and rehabilitation policies have reduced the Maoist presence in the State to zero.

Amaravati: Nine Maoists, including senior leader C Narayana Rao, have surrendered before police, Andhra Pradesh DGP Harish Kumar Gupta said on Monday.

He also claimed that “Left Wing Extremism (LWE) has come to an end in the state”.

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The DGP observed that the central government promised to end LWE before March 31, 2026 and the state police has also contributed its bit towards this goal.

According to Gupta, Rao was secretary of Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) and had operated in the Maoist movement for 36 years. He was involved in several major offences, including the 2018 murder of MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao, the 2001 killing of CI Gandhi, and the 1997 killing of Head Constable Narendra Das.

Rao joined the Maoist movement in 1990. He rose through the ranks from Area Committee Member (ACM) to Central Committee Member (CCM) and as AOB Special Zone Committee secretary until his surrender.

“The Centre made a promise that it would bring an end to LWE before March 31, 2026. In this process, we did our bit over the last two years. Today, LWE has come to an end in Andhra Pradesh,” Gupta said at a press conference.

On the latest development, the DGP said the police gave a call to the Maoists to surrender and integrate into the mainstream society.

He claimed that the Maoist underground movement in Andhra Pradesh has reduced to zero active cadre presence, reflecting sustained pressure through intelligence-based operations.

The DGP appreciated the role of Greyhounds, Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), and district police units for their coordinated efforts in counter-insurgency operations across the state.

He also noted that security forces assisted neighbouring states, including Chhattisgarh and Odisha, in multiple anti-Maoist operations during the period.

Providing a broader operational snapshot, police said there were 18 exchanges of fire, 81 arrests, and 106 surrenders, taking the total number of actions to 205.

Police said several of the surrendered cadres had joined the movement between 2017 and 2023 and were involved in ambushes, attacks on security camps, and other violent incidents.

Among the seized materials were BGL shells, ammunition, detonators, gelatin sticks, CORDEX wire, and manpacks used for communication.

Gupta said declining support base, disillusionment with ideology, and attractive rehabilitation policies offered by the state government resulted in the surrender of Maoists.