Days after key leaders of the CPI (Maoist) were gunned down in Andhra Pradesh, 37 members of the outfit, including three state committee members, surrendered before the Telangana police and returned to the mainstream.
Seven members of the Kumaram Bheem Divisional Committee also handed over eight firearms, including one AK-47 rifle, two SLRs, .303 rifles and one G3, along with a G3 rifle and live ammunition of various calibres.
According to the Telangana DGP Shivadhar Reddy, the large-scale surrender of Maoist cadres was prompted by the change in circumstances in Chhattisgarh, disillusionment with the cause, as well as health concerns of a few.
Key state committee members included 49-year-old Koyyada Sambaiah, alias Azad, who had been underground for 31 years and 70-year-old Appasi Narayana, alias Ramesh, who remained underground for 32 years.
Another state committee member, Muchaki Somada alias Erra, was also the South Bastar DVC secretary. These leaders carried bounties on their heads. The rest of the cadres who surrendered were mostly in their 20s.
The DGP said, “Among the 37 people who surrendered, three are quite important ones. This includes Appasi Narayana, who was there for 32 years and was also in charge of their technical team. Sambaiah alias Azad, who was also in the party for 32 years, has come out. He had two or three districts of North Telangana under his grip. Erra is another key leader from South Bastar, has also left the outfit. This is a significant achievement for the police and serious damage to the CPI (Maoist).”
The DGP further added that still 59 people were underground, but the majority of them were above 70 years of age. He reiterated the call to surrender before the police and join the mainstream. In 2025 alone, 465 Maoists have surrendered so far.