Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 23 : In a major development under Operation Kagar, senior Maoist leader Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji has surrendered before the Telangana State Intelligence Bureau, sources said.
Devuji, a top commander and senior functionary of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), laid down arms along with 16 other Maoists, including Central Committee member Rajireddy.
According to sources, as part of its intensified anti-Naxal campaign, the Centre recently rolled out Operation Kagar-2, focusing specifically on Devuji and Rajireddy.
The Centre has fixed March 31 as the deadline to eradicate Naxalism from the country.
The surrender marks a significant success for security agencies in their intensified anti-Naxal campaign.
Sustained pressure from security forces is believed to have played a crucial role in prompting the senior leadership of the CPI (Maoist) to surrender.
Two Maoists were killed last week in an exchange of fire with the security personnel in the Kandhamal district of Odisha.
Sanjeeb Panda, Additional Director General (ADG) of Police, Anti-Naxal Operations (ANO), stated that the encounter took place in the Karada forest area within the jurisdiction of Raikia police station in Kandhamal district.
Meanwhile, former CPI (Maoist) leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao, alias Sonu Bhupathi, has appealed to Maoist cadres still operating in the jungles to lay down arms, saying they have to be alive to realities and cannot remain trapped in dogma.
Admitting failures, he stated that the time has come for those involved in armed struggle to return to the mainstream and work among the people.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with ANI, Sonu Bhupathi, who surrendered on October 15, 2025, along with 60 members of the outlawed People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), said changing ground realities have made continued "armed struggle" impractical and urged remaining cadres to follow the same path.
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