'The biggest game changer has been the belief among Maoists that they can surrender and join the mainstream.'
In a development that could mark the beginning of the end of the Maoist insurgency in Maharashtra -- Union Home Minister Amit A Shah has set a deadline of 2026 -- senior Maoist leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao, alias Bhupati or Sonu, and the late Maoist leader Kishenji or Molajula Koteswar Rao's brother surrendered before the Gadchiroli police along with 60 other cadres on October 14, 2025.
Kishenji was killed in an encounter in the Jangal Mahal area of West Midnapore district, West Bengal, on November 24, 2011.
The 70-year-old Bhupati's surrender represents the most significant blow to the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in recent years.
Bhupati, one of only four CPI (Maoist) politburo members in the entire country and its spokesperson since 2010, carried a bounty of Rs 6 crore (Rs 60 million) on his head. Active in the Maoist movement for over four decades, he was considered the political mastermind and chief strategist of operations along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.
He headed the Dandakaranya special zonal committee and is suspected of orchestrating the devastating 2010 Dantewada attack in Chhattisgarh that claimed 76 CRPF personnel lives.
His surrender has triggered a cascade effect.
Approximately 200 more Maoists from the DK Mar division, carrying 110 weapons including over 30 automatic rifles, are expected to lay down their arms before Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on October 17. This follows the earlier surrender of Bhupati's wife Taraka in January 2025 and his sister-in-law Padmavati (Sujata), Kishanji's wife, in Telangana.
In an interview with Prasanna D Zore/Rediff, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Nilotpal reveals how systematic anti-Maoist operations, effective rehabilitation programmes, and the conviction that "this movement is not going to sustain" led to this moment that could herald the complete dismantling of Maoist infrastructure in Maharashtra.
Could you tell us about the surrender of Maoist leader Bhupati? How did he surrender? What was the plan? How did the Gadchiroli police convince the Maoists?
It wasn't about convincing. Bhupati is the mastermind, the main political think-tank of the Maoists. There's a concept of the politburo -- at present there are only four politburo members in the entire country, and he was the most active. He was the political strategist.
He realised, through the actions of the Gadchiroli police and the developments in the rest of the country that the Maoist movement would not sustain. He admitted that the Maoists were making many errors by continuing. He even wrote a letter acknowledging this.
His trust in surrendering before the Gadchiroli police came from two or three factors.
First, given the number of surrenders that have already taken place, the (Maharashtra) chief minister (Devendra Fadnavis) has been forthcoming in personally encouraging cadres to surrender. Last year, one divisional in-charge surrendered. After that, 111 people surrendered. That was an operational game changer.
Second, we gave them a feeler: Those willing to come are always welcome; we will not harm anyone. And we have consistently followed through. For instance, Bhupati's wife Taraka surrendered before the chief minister in January. That showed we were serious when we said, 'We will not harm anyone.' This is not for publicity; it's a fact.
Third, we have carried out very effective rehabilitation and reintegration. Money was disbursed immediately, employment opportunities were provided after observation (to the surrendered Maoists), and all those who surrendered were kept safe and secure.
This convinced Bhupati that Gadchiroli was a place where he could lay down his arms without fear.
I'm not claiming credit, but what is happening across states -- mass surrenders in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and elsewhere -- is also because of his influence.
How significant is this surrender and what impact will it have on the Maoist movement in the entire Abujhmad region, not just Gadchiroli?
Tomorrow (October 17, 2025), before the honourable chief minister in Gadchiroli, around 200 Maoists will surrender, bringing about 110 weapons with them.
What kind of weapons will these be?
AK-47s, including automatics. Out of the 110 weapons, more than 30 are automatics.
Could you give us the profile of the Maoists surrendering on Friday? Are they from any particular division?
Yes, the entire DK division (Dandakaranya special zonal committee (DKSZC), a high-level body of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) that operates in the Dandakaranya region, which includes the Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra) is surrendering. This is happening because of yesterday's surrender.
Bhupati has managed to convince nearly 300 people that the movement has no future.
Bhupati is the brother of Kishenji's and Kishenji's wife, his bhabhi, Padmavati (Sujata), surrendered before Telangana authorities about a month ago.
Did Taraka play any role in Bhupati's surrender?
That we will not disclose. But Taraka's surrender, her acceptance, and her smooth reintegration -- especially given her health issues -- did send a strong message to Bhupati that he could also return safely.
Did you get a chance to interrogate him or meet him before his surrender?
No, not before. But yes, after his surrender we did.
Have you interrogated him and has he given useful information?
We cannot reveal anything about this.
What intelligence inputs or operations preceded Bhupati's surrender to put pressure on the CPI (Maoist)?
Last year, we neutralised everyone in the north (of Gadchiroli). This year, we inflicted heavy losses on Company Number 10 (Company Number 10 is a specific military unit of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of India) and other formations. Gradually, they realised they had no safe havens left.
We arrested some who were unwilling to surrender, and then came this massive surrender. Through aggressive anti-Naxal operations, we virtually wiped out the entire north last year.
On January 1, 2024, their strength was 100 cadres. By the day before yesterday (October 15, 2025), it had dropped to just 21 -- through arrests, neutralisations, and surrenders.
The biggest game changer has been the belief among Maoists that they can surrender and join the mainstream. And the chief minister (Fadnavis) has been very forthcoming in making this possible.
How many more politburo members are still active?
Only three now.
Any indications that these leaders may surrender soon?
One is untraceable. So effectively, only two are left.
What kind of weapons were surrendered by the 60 cadres who surrendered along with Bhupati?
Ninety per cent of them had weapons. We recovered 54 weapons, of which 23 were automatic: Seven AK-47s, one highly sophisticated Swiss-made gun, nine INSAS rifles, four SLRs, and two carbines.
Is Hidma, reportedly the main military strategist of the Maoists, active in your region?
He doesn't operate in our area. We have very limited information. He is mostly confined to South Bastar (Chhattisgarh).
Could you walk us through the timeline of Bhupati's surrender -- from first contact to his expression of willingness to surrender?
That is something we won't disclose. But what I can say is that Bhupati's surrender has triggered a collapse (of the Maoists movement in Maharashtra) like a pack of cards, which you will see tomorrow and in the days ahead.
