Eight Maoists Surrender Before Ramagundam Police

In a significant boost to anti-Maoist efforts, eight members of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation today surrendered before Commissioner of Police Ambar Kishor Jha at the Ramagundam Commissionerate.

Those who surrendered included militia commanders, party members and cultural activists.

One of them, Dharmaji Srikant (33) of Jagtial district, was arrested in 2024 and later rejoined the outfit, working as a courier for senior Maoist leaders. The remaining seven are natives of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh.

The surrendered cadres - linked to the militia, courier network, cultural wing and local committees - said that they were influenced by the Telangana government's rehabilitation policy and the humane approach of the police, which prompted them to abandon underground life and rejoin the mainstream.

The Ramagundam Commissionerate police said that the group had been active along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, supporting Maoist operations through logistics, intelligence, propaganda and militia activities.

The police said that all the surrendering Maoists would be extended benefits under the Telangana Government Rehabilitation Scheme for such persons, including livelihood support and assistance for independent living.

The police also claimed that youth recruitment into the Maoist ranks had sharply declined, and appealed to the remaining Maoists from Adilabad and Karimnagar districts to return to their villages and lead peaceful lives.