Hyderabad, September 13: In a significant breakthrough for Telangana Police, senior CPI (Maoist) leader and Central Committee Member (CCM) Pothula Padmavathi alias Kalpana alias Mainakka, widely known as Sujathakka, surrendered before DGP Jitender, bringing to an end a 43-year-long underground life.
A native of Penchikalpadu village in Jogulamba Gadwal district, Sujathakka, 62, held several top positions within the Maoist movement, including CCM, member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) Secretariat, Secretary of the South Sub-Zonal Bureau, and head of the Janathan Sarkar (Revolutionary People’s Committee). She also edited Pethuri, a Koya-language magazine published thrice a year in Maoist-dominated areas.
Police said her decision was influenced by deteriorating health. In May 2025, she informed the party leadership through Pulluri Prasada Rao alias Chandranna, also a CCM, that she wanted to quit and rejoin the mainstream with government support. She has now opted to live with her family under the state’s rehabilitation scheme.
DGP Jitender handed over a Rs 25 lakh cash reward, earlier announced on her head. “Her surrender is a moral victory for Telangana Police’s comprehensive strategy against the Maoist movement,” he remarked.
According to official figures, 404 Maoists have surrendered in 2025 alone, including four State Committee Members, one Divisional Committee Secretary, eight Divisional Committee Members, and 34 Area Committee Members. Police sources said Telangana continues to be the home turf for the insurgency’s leadership, with 10 of the 15 Central Committee members hailing from the state.
CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member Potula Padmavati alias Kalpana Jyothi alias Sujatha, who served the party for 43 years, has surrendered before the Telangana Govt.
As per Hon’ble HM Shri @AmitShah Ji’s call, I once again appeal to Maoists: Lay down arms. Armed revolutions… pic.twitter.com/NAt0CZuHyd
— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (@bandisanjay_bjp) September 13, 2025
Appealing to remaining cadres, the DGP said: “We call upon all underground Maoists to return to their villages and join the mainstream. Under the slogan ‘Poru Vaddu… Ooru Muddu’ (No war… Love your village), the state will ensure immediate financial support, rehabilitation, and a dignified life.”
Since the intensification of counter-insurgency operations in Bastar, a significant number of Maoists have abandoned the forests, surrendering to the police or being killed in encounters. The killing of Nambala Keshava Rao (alias Basavaraju), the General Secretary of CPI (Maoist), in the May 2025 Abujhmarh clash marks a historic blow to the organisation — the first time in three decades a general secretary was neutralised. Alongside him, several senior leaders and many lower-rank cadres have lost their lives or defected. Police now report that Bastar’s Maoist strength has dropped drastically, with estimates placing active armed cadres at around 1,200.
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