Top Maoist Commander Barse Deva Surrenders Alongside 15 Cadres To Telangana Police | India News

In a significant blow to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), senior Maoist commander Barse Deva surrendered to the Telangana Police on Thursday, officials said. Deva, a high-ranking leader of Battalion No. 1 of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), laid down arms before Telangana Director General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy.

Fifteen other Maoist cadres also surrendered alongside Deva, who hails from Puvarti village in Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, and was regarded as a key figure in the Maoist military hierarchy. The group was later brought to Hyderabad.

Deva’s surrender is considered a major strategic victory for security forces, as he commanded one of the most elite units of the outlawed CPI-Maoist and was reportedly behind multiple attacks on security personnel in the Dandakaranya forest belt. He had also carried a substantial bounty.

Following the death of Madvi Hidma, a Central Committee member and commandant of PLGA Battalion No. 1, in an encounter with Andhra Pradesh police on 18 November 2025, Deva had risen to become the most important commander of the battalion. Hidma, his wife Raje, and four others were killed in the clash in Alluri Sitharamaraju district along the Andhra-Odisha border.

During 2025, a total of 509 underground CPI-Maoist cadres surrendered to Telangana Police, reflecting a gradual weakening of the organization. This included two Central Committee Members (CCMs), 11 State Committee Members (SCMs), and three Divisional Committee Secretaries (DVCS).

Of the total surrendered cadres, 483 were from Chhattisgarh, 24 from Telangana, and one each from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Telangana Police officials have said these developments highlight the steady decline of the Maoist network in the region.

A detailed announcement regarding Deva’s surrender and further details is expected from the Telangana DGP at a press conference on Saturday.

(With IANS inputs)