In a significant move, three high-ranking leaders of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) group — Kunkati Venkataiah (known as Vikas), Mogilicherla Venkatraju (also called Chandu), and Thodem Ganga (alias Sony) — have voluntarily surrendered to the Telangana Police. Their surrender on Friday marks the end of several decades spent living in hiding.
These three individuals held influential positions as State Committee Members (SCMs) within the CPI (Maoist), overseeing crucial operations under the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC). Their surrender, witnessed by Telangana’s Director General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy, comes with a government-announced reward of ₹20 lakh each, presented via demand drafts, in line with the state’s rehabilitation program.
DGP Reddy revealed details about the surrendered leaders, starting with Kunkati Venkataiah, 52. Originally from Kutigal village in Siddipet district, Venkataiah had been underground for an astonishing 36 years. He climbed the ranks after joining the CPI (ML) People’s War Group in 1990, eventually leading the South Bastar Divisional Committee under the DKSZC. His decision to leave the movement in May 2025 and embrace civilian life was reportedly influenced by his declining health. Interestingly, his wife, Kodi Manjula (Nirmala), another prominent Maoist figure, had also surrendered earlier in 2024.
Mogilicherla Venkatraju, 45, known as Erra Raju or Chander, from Thatikayala village in Hanumakonda district, spent 35 years underground. He headed the Chetna Natya Manch (CNM), the DKSZC’s cultural division. Starting as a folk singer drawn to revolutionary art in the early 1990s, he became a State Committee Member. The officer stated that his surrender was prompted by deteriorating eyesight and increasing disagreements over the Maoist leadership’s ideology.
Thodem Ganga, 42, also known as Sony, originally from Dharampeta village in Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, had been underground for 21 years. She managed the Janathana Sarkar under the South Bastar Division and held various leadership positions within the DKSZC. Her reasons for leaving the organization were health issues and a desire for a peaceful life alongside her husband, Venkatraju.
The DGP confirmed that all three individuals would be eligible for comprehensive rehabilitation benefits from the government. These benefits include financial aid and support for their successful reintegration into mainstream society. He emphasized that these surrenders underscore the success of Telangana’s long-standing strategy of fostering persuasion and rehabilitation over direct confrontation, marking a significant moral victory for the state.
Telangana Police highlighted that in 2025 alone, a remarkable 412 underground cadres have surrendered. This number includes one Central Committee Member, four State Committee Members, two Divisional Committee Secretaries, eight Divisional Committee Members, and 35 Area Committee Members. Such widespread surrenders demonstrate the effectiveness of the government’s comprehensive reintegration strategy.
Currently, 72 active underground CPI (Maoist) members are known to be from Telangana. Furthermore, eight of the organization’s twelve Central Committee Members also originate from the state.