Two senior leaders of the banned CPI-Maoist have surrendered before Telangana Police, marking a major success in the state&rsquo;s anti-Maoist strategy.
Those who laid down arms are Kakarla Sunitha alias Badri, senior State Committee Member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DK SZC), and Chennuri Harish alias Ramanna, an Area Committee Member of the Telangana State Committee. Both appeared before Rachakonda Police Commissioner G. Sudheer Babu on Thursday.
After spending decades in the Maoist movement, the leaders chose to return to the mainstream, inspired by Telangana government&rsquo;s welfare initiatives and police rehabilitation measures. Officials said they now wish to lead a peaceful family life.
Commissioner Babu highlighted that 62-year-old Sunitha had been a prominent ideologue in the CPI(Maoist). She served on the Regional Political School and the Education Departmental Committee, drafting strategies and contributing to party publications like Kranthi.
Her journey into radical politics began in 1985 when she joined the Radical Students Union (RSU) during her studies in Rajahmundry. With her father Kakarla Satyanarayana&rsquo;s association with the Revolutionary Writers&rsquo; Association (Virasam), and frequent visits from figures like Varavara Rao and Gaddar, she soon joined the CPI (ML) People&rsquo;s War in 1986 and went underground. Over the years, she played roles in several forest committees and later moved to Dandakaranya with her husband TLN Chalam alias Goutham alias Sudhakar. He was killed in the Annapuram National Park encounter on June 5, 2025.
Harish, 35, hailing from Bhupalapally district, was drawn to Maoist ideology during his school days at a BC Welfare Hostel in Eturanagaram in 2006.
The Commissioner described their surrender as a significant milestone, urging other underground cadres to return to their villages and participate in state development. He assured that those who come forward will receive full support and rehabilitation benefits under government schemes. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Two Senior Maoist Leaders Surrender in Telangana

Veteran CPI-Maoist leaders Sunitha and Harish surrender, choose peaceful life in Telangana

Two Senior Maoist Leaders Surrender in Telangana

Veteran CPI-Maoist leaders Sunitha and Harish surrender, choose peaceful life in Telangana

August 21, 2025 | 19:36 IST