Two senior Maoists surrender to Telangana police

Hyderabad, Aug 21 (PTI) Two senior underground leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist) party, one of them a woman with 40 years in the revolutionary movement, surrendered to Telangana Police on Thursday.

Kakarala Sunitha alias Badri, a senior member of the CPI (Maoist) State Committee and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), and Chennuri Harish alias Ramanna, an area committee member of the Telangana State Committee, joined the mainstream in the presence of Rachakonda Police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu.

A police release said the duo was motivated by welfare measures extended by the Telangana government and police, as well as support for those returning to mainstream life. They decided to lead a peaceful life with their families.

Sunitha (62), from Vanasthalipuram, Hyderabad, was drawn to the Radical Students Union (RSU) during her Intermediate studies in Rajahmundry in 1985. In January 1986, she joined the CPI (ML) People’s War and went underground.

In 2001, she and her husband, TLN Chalam, were posted to the Andhra–Odisha Border (AOB) region and later to Dandakaranya in 2006. The Central Committee assigned them to strengthen ideological and political awareness among the cadres in the region.

From 2006 onward, Sunitha worked with the Regional Political School (RePoS) and Education Departmental Committee (EDC), playing a key role in training mid- and junior-level cadre and contributing to party publications like 'Kranthi'.

She and her husband were involved in the Annapuram National Park encounter in June 2025, in which he was killed, police said.

Harish (35), from Bhupalpally district, Telangana, was promoted to ACM, Telangana State Committee in May 2024.

He was drawn to the Maoist ideology in 2006 while studying in the 10th class and participated in encounters in December 2022 and June 2025, police said.

Police urged remaining Maoists in Telangana to return to their villages and contribute to state development, assuring government support to help them lead independent lives. PTI VVK SSK