Record number of Maoists from Chhattisgarh surrender to Kothagudem police in one day on Saturday

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Multi Zone-I, S Chandrashekhar Reddy said 181 Maoists of different ranks had surrendered before the Telangana police from January 2024 till date

Kothagudem: As many as 64 Maoists -48 male and 16 female- from various border villages in Sukma and Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, surrendered before the police here on Saturday. It was the first instance in Telangana wherein such a large number of Maoists surrendered to police at a time.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Multi Zone-I, S Chandrashekhar Reddy said 181 Maoists of different ranks had surrendered before the Telangana police from January 2024 till date. Speaking to the media along with Superintendent of Police B Rohith Raju and Bhadrachalam ASP Vikrant Kumar Singh, he said the highest number of Maoists – 158 – surrendered to Kothagudem police and 19 in Mulugu since January 2024 and in all 90 Maoists were arrested.

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Of the 64 Maoists who surrendered on Saturday, 10 party members, nine Revolutionary People’s Committee (RPC) members, 19 RPC militia, 11 RPC Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (DAKMS)/KMS members, six RPC CNM members and eight RPC GRD members decided to leave the path of Naxalism and lead a peaceful life with their family members. Madakam Jimme, area committee member, agriculture team of South Bastar divisional committee was among the surrendered Maoists. An amount of Rs.16 lakh was disbursed to the surrendered naxals with each one getting Rs25,000, the IGP said.

The naxals surrendered as they were impressed with the measures being taken up for the welfare of surrendered Maoists as well as development and welfare activities for tribals under “Operation Cheyutha” by Kothagudem district police, CRPF 81 Bn and 141 Bn, Chandrashekhar Reddy said.

Attracted by the rehabilitation offered by the Telangana government to surrendered Maoist members, various cadres of Maoists were giving up arms and surrendering before the police. The police would continue to reach out to the villagers with development works and by organising sports events for tribal youth. Police officials were approaching the families of underground cadres to see that the Maoists quit the path of violence and join mainstream life, he noted, adding the police would ensure livelihood to surrendered Maoists, Chandrashekhar Reddy said, adding that there were 100 Maoists from Telangana operating in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and other States. Of the 19 members in the CPI (Maoist) Party Central Committee, 11 members were from Telangana.

CRPF Commandant Rithesh Thakur, Deputy Commandant Preetha, Additional Commandant Rajesh Dongra, CIs Raju Varma, B Ashok and others were present.