Senior Maoist Leader Malla Raji Reddy Surrenders with 50 Cadre in Telangana
In a significant development, senior Maoist leader Malla Raji Reddy, also known as Sangram, has surrendered before Telangana police along with 50 cadre, including top-level and middle-level leaders. Officials describe this as a major setback for the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit's presence in the state.
Details of the Surrender
Malla Raji Reddy, a central committee and politburo member of CPI (Maoist), reportedly surrendered with the cadre. This event follows closely on the heels of another top Maoist leader, Devji alias Tripari Tirupathi, believed to be the general secretary and a central committee member, who surrendered to Telangana police in Mulugu district just a day earlier.
Raji Reddy, who joined the Maoist party in 1975, has held key positions within the organization. He is known by multiple aliases, including Sathenna, Sayanna, Meesalanna, Sagar, Alok, Deshpande, SN, Laxman, Sanghram, and Murali. An official announcement of the surrenders is expected to be made by Telangana police, possibly in the presence of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy or DGP Shivadhar Reddy, on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Background of Malla Raji Reddy
According to police records, Raji Reddy, 76, hails from Shatharajpalli village in Mutharam mandal, Peddapalli district. He studied Intermediate at Govt Junior College in Manthani. After his first wife, Rathnamma alias Rajakka alias Nirmala, died in an alleged encounter in 1998, he married Bicha alias Suguna from Mandri, Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. He has a daughter, Snehalatha, who is married to Prof C Kasim and resides in Hyderabad. His brother, Malla Bheem Reddy, works at Singareni Collieries Company Limited in Godavarikhani.
Operational Context and Recent Developments
Sources indicate that Raji Reddy was believed to be operating in the National Park area of Chhattisgarh. He reportedly moved to Telangana about a month ago following intensified operations by Chhattisgarh police, DRG, and CRPF CoBRA forces in that region. The Centre had pushed for a deadline of March 31, with combing operations intensifying from the Chhattisgarh side towards Telangana, particularly in the Karreguttalu belt, adding significance to these surrenders.
However, sources also reveal that some of the Maoist leaders and cadre now shown as having surrendered were actually arrested by Telangana police and later persuaded to surrender formally. This follows recent surrenders of other Maoist figures like Mallojula Venugopal and Ashanna, indicating accelerating developments within the Maoist ranks.
Weapons Seized and Impact
Officials reported that several weapons were seized from the surrendered cadre, including AK-47s and INSAS rifles. Specifically, twelve AK-47 rifles were found with the cadre who surrendered. With the surrender of Raji Reddy and Devji along with 50 cadre, Telangana police have described this as a major development in ongoing operations against the Maoist organization in the region, potentially weakening its operational capabilities and influence.
