Senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), Sodi Kaisalo, alias Mala, who was heading the Indian People’s Liberation Army (PLGA) battalion, along with 41 other commanders, surrendered on Friday before Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Shivadhar Reddy, police said.
According to the police, the group, which emerged from the Karigotta forest area along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border five days ago, announced its decision to lay down arms after arriving at the Telangana police headquarters via Mulugu and Jayashankar Bhopalpally areas, under tight security measures.
Kesalo, also known as Nikhil, was accompanied by Narayana, a Telangana state committee member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), along with division committee members and leaders of Bhadradri, Kottagudem and Alluri Sitarama Raju districts of the banned group.
The surrendering cadres handed over a large quantity of weapons, including 36 firearms, five AK-47 rifles, four SLR cameras, and 1,007 rounds of ammunition. In addition, police said about 800 grams of gold were delivered.
Speaking to reporters, DGP Reddy said that the total amount of eligible reward is $Rs 1.93 crore will be disbursed to all 42 surrendered cadres.
He said leadership changes within the PLGA had weakened the group. “After senior Maoist commander Madhvi Hidma reportedly transferred from the PLA to the Dandakaranya Special District Committee, the responsibilities of the battalion were handed over to the Deva and Keshava pads. However, the Deva surrendered before the Telangana police a few days ago, leaving Kesalo in charge,” he said.
With the recent surrenders, the entire Telangana State Committee (TSC) of the banned outfit has been effectively neutralised, eliminating its organizational presence in Telangana.
“Telangana is completely devoid of Maoist activity. The surrender of the remaining PLA cadres today, along with their advanced firearms, can be considered as a complete annihilation of the PLA with its weapons,” he said.
In all, 761 Maoists have surrendered before the Telangana police since 2024, with 205 giving up arms this year, 509 in 2025, and 47 in 2024. “This reflects the growing confidence in the government’s rehabilitation policies and constant pressure from the security forces,” Reddy said.
However, there are still five active underground cadres from Telangana in various formations across the country outside the state, according to police. They are: Central Committee members Moppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi and Basanuri Narahari alias Santhosh; State committee members Jade Ratna Bai alias Sujatha and Vartha Shekhar alias Manjthu, and district committee member Rangapoena Bhagya alias Ruby.
“All these five leaders are working in other states, including Chhattisgarh. We appeal to these five leaders from Telangana to lay down arms and join the mainstream,” the DGP added.
