Top Maoist commander Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji surrenders to Telangana Police with a Rs 1 crore bounty on his head.
Devji, believed to have succeeded late general secretary Basavaraju, operated as Central Military Commission in-charge from Chhattisgarh.
Surrenders come days before March 2026 government deadline, following 588 Maoists rejoining mainstream in Telangana over two years.
A senior Maoist leader, Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji, has surrendered to Telangana Police, along with another cadre, Malla Raji Reddy, and several others from the CPI (Maoist), a top police official said on Sunday.
The 62-year-old Devji, from Telangana's Jagtial district, is thought to have taken over from the late CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, who died in May 2025. His surrender occurs just before the Union government's March 2026 deadline to eradicate Naxalism in India.
"The surrender will be officially shown in a couple of days...they are with Telangana Police," the official told PTI.
According to PTI, Devji carried a Rs 1 crore bounty and played a role in forming the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). He rose to become a central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and a politburo member, while also serving as in-charge of the Central Military Commission (CMC). He operated from Maad in Chhattisgarh.
Sources said that in 1982, while studying Intermediate in Korutla in Jagtial District, Devji became involved with the Radical Student Union (RSU). That year, clashes broke out between RSU and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members in Karimnagar district, leading to Devji being named as an accused.
In 1983, he joined CPI ML (PWG) and went underground. Between 1983 and 1984, he served as a Dalam member in Gadchiroli Dalam, and in 1985, he advanced to area committee member. He became a central committee member in 2001 and took charge of CMC in 2016, the sources added.
PTI reported that another key strategist, Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu, from Telangana, surrendered with 60 other cadres in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district in October 2025. He advocated for "temporarily renouncing armed struggle" and expressed readiness for a ceasefire.
This position faced opposition from other senior cadres, including Devji, who seemed to support ongoing armed struggle. Sources noted that the "division" in perspectives within the Maoists was "very clear" from the statements issued.
Security forces, under CRPF leadership, initiated a major operation called 'KGH 2' on February 17, covering areas such as Nambi and Korgotalu Hills (KGH), also known as Karregutta Hills, along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.
Officials earlier stated that around 300 Naxals, including four top central committee members of the CPI (Maoist)—Misir Besra alias Bhaskar, Devji, Rammanna alias Ganpathi alias Laxman Rao, and Raji Reddy—were the remaining targets. They must either surrender or face elimination in stepped-up operations to achieve the March 2026 deadline.
On February 15, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) B Shivadhar Reddy urged all underground CPI (Maoist) leaders and cadres, including about 15 remaining from Telangana, to lay down arms. He said those joining the mainstream would receive immediate support and benefits under the state government's "Surrender and Rehabilitation Scheme".
Reported PTI, over the past two years, 588 Maoist leaders and cadres at different levels have returned to normal life due to Telangana Police's ongoing efforts.
(With inputs from PTI)
