PLGA senior commander surrenders; DGP says only one senior functionary in Telangana State Committee left underground

A senior commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PGLA) and a State Committee member of the CPI (Maoist) surrendered before the Telangana Police on Saturday (January 3, 2025), along with 18 other underground cadres, in what officials described as a major setback to the outlawed organisation.

The commander of the PLGA battalion, 49-year-old Badse Sukka alias Deva, and a State Committee member of the Telangana State Committee, 50-year-old Kankanala Raji Reddy alias Venkatesh, were among the 20 cadres who surrendered along with 48 firearms and more than 2,200 rounds of ammunition.

Telangana DGP Shivadhar Reddy said that this marked the collapse of the last remaining PLGA battalion and left the Telangana State Committee with only one senior functionary still underground.

The officer also said that the surrendered weapons included light machine guns, AK-47 rifles, INSAS rifles, SLRs, a US-made Colt rifle, an Israel-made Tavor rifle, grenades and other arms. Cash amounting to ₹20.30 lakh was also seized during the surrender process.

Badse Sukka, a native of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh, was described by the police as one of the most important tribal leaders in the CPI (Maoist) after the death of Madvi Hidma. He joined the organisation in 2003 and later rose through the ranks, acquiring expertise in guerrilla warfare, explosives and arms manufacturing. tHE Police said multiple States, including Telangana and Chhattisgarh, and the National Investigation Agency had announced rewards totalling ₹75 lakh on him.

Kankanala Raji Reddy, a native of Peddapalli district in Telangana, joined the movement in 1997 and was elevated as a State Committee member in 2019. Police said he played a key role in building courier networks and logistics bases in north Telangana, particularly in the erstwhile Warangal and Karimnagar districts.

Among the other surrendered cadres were members from the PLGA, the Telangana State Committee, the South Sub Zonal Bureau and the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, including women cadres and those involved in medical and logistics units.

The DGP added that the surrender significantly weakened the operational capability of the CPI (Maoist) in the region. He attributed the situation to sustained pressure from security forces, shrinking support networks, internal rifts within the organisation and growing disillusionment among cadres over leadership decisions and harsh living conditions.

The Police said the surrender followed an appeal made by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on October 21, 2025, urging Maoist cadres to give up violence and return to the mainstream. The surrendered cadres told officials that arbitrary deployments to unfamiliar areas, lack of logistical support, prolonged separation from families and deteriorating health had pushed them to abandon the armed movement.

Under the Telangana Government’s rehabilitation policy, the surrendered cadres are eligible for financial assistance and incentives for handing over weapons. Police said an interim relief of ₹25,000 had already been paid to each of them, with further benefits to be released after completion of formalities.