Who is Devji alias Tirupati? Why was there a reward of Rs 1 crore on him? There will be peace in Telangana now!

Top Maoist Leader Devji Surrender: The campaign of security forces against leftist extremism has achieved great success in Telangana. Senior commander and strategist of banned organization CPI (Maoist) Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji has surrendered before Telangana Police. A reward of Rs 1 crore was declared on Devji.

62 year old Devji is originally from Jagtial district of Telangana. Security agencies considered him the chief strategist of the organization. He was working as in-charge of the Central Military Commission (CMC). Devji had assumed the leadership role in the organization after the death of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju in May 2025.

journey from college to jungle

Devji’s story begins in 1982 from Korutla in Jagtial district, when he joined the Radical Students Union (RSU) while studying intermediate. A year later, in 1983, he went underground by joining CPI-ML (People’s War Group). Gradually he climbed the ladder of the organization. Became a member of the Central Committee in 2001 and in 2016 he was given the important responsibility of the Central Military Commission. He also played an important role in the formation of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). He used to conduct his activities from Maad region of Chhattisgarh.

Cracks in the organization and surrender

Devji’s move came at a time when there were deep differences within the organization. There was a split among the leaders on the issue of continuing the armed conflict and a temporary ceasefire. In October 2025, senior leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu surrendered along with 60 other cadres in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, saying that he was temporarily abandoning the armed struggle. At that time Devji was in favor of continuing the struggle. But ultimately they had to bow down to the increasing pressure of the security forces.

Also read: Surrender, get Rs 1.10 crore… Government’s bumper offer, Naxalites will get more rewards

‘KGH-2’ impact of campaign

Since February 17, security forces on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border have launched ‘KGH-2’ A massive campaign was started under the name. Several top Central Committee members, including Devji, were on the priority want list of the security forces. The pressure of this campaign played an important role in Devji’s surrender. The central government has set a target to completely eliminate Naxalism from the country by March 2026. Results are also emerging in this direction. According to the police, 588 Maoist leaders and cadres have returned to the mainstream in the last two years. The surrender of a senior leader like Devji and a member of the Central Committee is a direct blow to the backbone of the organization and is being considered a sign of the rapid weakening of the Maoist movement.