37 Maoists surrender to police in Telangana

Hyderabad, Nov 22 (PTI) As many as 37 Maoists, three of whom were state committee leaders, surrendered to Telangana DGP B Shivadhar Reddy on Saturday.

The surrendered cadres comprise three state committee members, three divisional committee members, nine area committee members, and 22 other CPI (Maoist) members, Reddy told reporters.

The three state committee members are Koyyada Sambaiah (49), alias Azad, Appasi Narayana, alias Ramesh (70), and Muchaki Somada. While Sambaiah and Narayana belong to the Telangana committee, Somada was part of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the Maoists.

The surrendered Maoists handed over one AK-47 rifle, two SLR rifles, four 303 rifles, one G3 rifle, and 346 rounds of live ammunition.

Reddy said the Maoists responded to an appeal by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to join the mainstream.

He added that sustained anti-Maoist operations, ideological differences, and internal rifts within the organisation influenced their decision to surrender.

The surrendered Maoists carry a total cash reward of about Rs 1.40 crore, with Sambaiah and Narayana having bounties of Rs 20 lakh each.

The DGP urged all CPI (Maoist) cadres to come forward and join the mainstream.

Of the nine Central Committee members of the proscribed organisation, five belong to Telangana: Ganapati, Malla Raji Reddy, Tippiri Tirupati alias Devji, Hanumanthu, and Narahari.

When asked whether Devji is leading the outfit, the DGP said there is no confirmed information and it remains speculative.

On efforts to secure the surrender of Devji and Ganapati, the DGP said, "Please pass on to us if they come in contact with you. Definitely, we are trying for them. We welcome them if they want to come out through their acquaintances." Regarding Sambaiah and Narayana, who have been in police custody since last week, he clarified that the surrender was voluntary and not an arrest requiring court production within 24 hours.

The DGP dismissed reports that top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, killed in Andhra Pradesh earlier this week, was taken to Telangana because police refused his surrender, calling them false.

Sambaiah alias Azad said the present state committee leaders, Damodar and Venkanna, should also join the mainstream in the changed circumstances following the government’s appeal.

Muchaki Somada added that the decision to surrender was influenced by health issues and the difficulty of continuing in the CPI (Maoist) under current conditions. PTI SJR SSK