Hyderabad, February 22 Top Maoist commander and the organization's key "strategist," Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji, has surrendered, a top police official said on Sunday.
Devji is from the Jagtial district of Telangana, and his surrender can be seen as a major setback for the outlawed organization, which now lacks leadership.
Devji (62) is believed to have taken over from the late CPI (Maoist) General Secretary, Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, who died in May 2025.
Another senior Maoist leader, Malla Raji Reddy, along with several members of the CPI (Maoist), have also surrendered.
Their surrender comes just days before the Union government's deadline of March 2026 to eliminate Naxalism in the country.
"The surrender will be officially confirmed in a couple of days...they are in the custody of the Telangana Police," the official told
