86 Maoists Surrender in Telangana, Police Cite Growing Trust in Welfare Programs

Hyderabad: In a significant development, 86 members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), including four Area Committee Members (ACMs), surrendered before the police in Bhadradri Kothagudem district of Telangana on Saturday. The surrenders mark a major step in the state’s continued efforts to counter left-wing extremism through development and rehabilitation programs.

The former Maoists, who hail from neighbouring Chhattisgarh, laid down arms before Inspector General of Police (Multi Zone-I) S Chandrashekhar Reddy. According to an official release, they expressed a desire to leave behind violence and return to mainstream society to live peacefully with their families.

Bhadradri Kothagudem SP B Rohith Raju confirmed that the four ACMs were carrying a reward of ₹4 lakh each. This mass surrender is being viewed as a major success for the Telangana police’s ongoing initiative, Operation Cheyutha, aimed at rehabilitating surrendered Maoists and boosting welfare in tribal regions.

So far this year, 224 Maoists of various ranks have surrendered under the program, police noted.

Authorities said the decision by the rebels to surrender was influenced by recent incidents highlighting the destructive impact of Maoist activities on tribal lives. These included the death of a tribal woman and the injury of another due to landmines allegedly planted by Maoists in villages along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border.

Police officials emphasized that the CPI (Maoist) has lost public support and continues to function on an outdated ideology that obstructs development and spreads fear among innocent tribal populations.

The Telangana Police have urged other Maoists willing to return to the mainstream to reach out through family members or directly to local police or district officials.