Senior Maoist leader Devji, carrying Rs 1 crore bounty, surrenders in Telangana

A native of Jagtial district, Devji joined the Maoist movement in the 1980s through the People’s War Group (PWG), which became the CPI (Maoist) in 2004.

Published Feb 22, 2026 | 5:46 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 22, 2026 | 5:46 PM

Venugopal had recently revealed a long-standing rift with the Maoist leadership over surrendering and joining the mainstream society. While ending his decades-long association with the armed struggle, he urged cadres to "save themselves" and avoid making "meaningless sacrifices"

Telangana Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy recently appealed to Maoist leaders to surrender.

Synopsis: Thippiri Tirupati, alias Devji, a senior leader of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist), surrendered to the Telangana Police along with several key members in the early hours of Sunday, 22 February, in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district. Devji, 60, served as Secretary of the party’s Central Committee and carried a reward of ₹1 crore, and his surrender follows intensive combing operations by security forces in the Karreguttalu hills along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border.

One of the highest-ranking leaders of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist), Thippiri Tirupati, alias Devji, reportedly surrendered to the Telangana Police along with several key members of the outfit in the early hours of Sunday, 22 February, in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.

Devji, 60, is regarded as a key strategist of the outfit. He served as Secretary of the party’s Central Committee and carried a reward of ₹1 crore on his head. His surrender follows intensive combing operations in the Karreguttalu hills in adjoining districts of Telangana and Chhattisgarh by security forces.

A native of Jagtial district, Devji joined the Maoist movement in the 1980s through the People’s War Group (PWG), which became the CPI (Maoist) in 2004.

Over the decades, he rose through the ranks and eventually headed the Central Military Commission, the organisation’s armed wing.

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Senior leader Malla Raji Reddy, alias Sangram, 76, a Central Committee-cum-Politburo member, was among those who surrendered with Devji. Another 16 to 20 cadres, including several prominent figures in the outfit, also laid down arms.

Sources said the group had been in touch with the police for the past couple of days. Family members and well-wishers are believed to have played a key role in persuading them to return to the mainstream.

Telangana Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy recently appealed to Maoist leaders to surrender.

The surrender comes ahead of the 31 March 2026 deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to “eliminate” Naxalism from the country.

Intensified anti-Maoist operations, including Operation Kagar, launched in January 2024, have weakened the insurgent network in central India.

(Edited by Dese Gowda)