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Chhattisgarh: Senior Maoist leaders Rupesh and Ranita likely to surrender today
The development comes two days after key Maoist strategist Mallojula Venugopal Rao, alias Sonu or Bhupati, surrendered before Maharashtra police.
Senior CPI (Maoist) leader Rupesh and Maad division in-charge Ranita are likely to surrender before security forces in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, officials said, as both have been in touch with security agencies for several weeks to lay down arms.
A senior Chhattisgarh official said on condition of anonymity that discussions with the two leaders were in the “final phase”. “It can happen anytime today,” the official said.
The development comes just two days after senior Politburo member and key Maoist strategist Mallojula Venugopal Rao, alias Sonu or Bhupati, surrendered before the police in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, along with around 60 cadres.
HT first reported on Sunday that Sonu was in Maharashtra, while Rupesh and others would surrender in Chhattisgarh.
Bhupati’s surrender, in the presence of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, is considered as one of the biggest setbacks to the Maoist movement in recent years. The group handed over 54 weapons, including AK-47 and INSAS rifles.
Officials said Bhupati had played a crucial role in shaping the Maoist strategy in central India and maintained communication between the Central Committee and Dandakaranya units of the ultras. His decision to give up arms has triggered a ripple effect, with many mid-level cadres expressing willingness to surrender.
Rupesh, believed to be a senior member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), has been active in Bastar for over two decades and is considered one of the key figures overseeing operations across Sukma, Bijapur and Narayanpur. Ranita, who heads the Maad division in Narayanpur, is also said to have been instrumental in recruitment and logistics in northern Bastar.
Their surrender, if confirmed, would come just a day after 78 Maoists, including 43 women cadres and two DKSZC members, surrendered across Kanker, Sukma and Kondagaon districts of Chhattisgarh, marking one of the most significant phases of weakening within the Maoist network in Bastar this year.
