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Veteran Maoist couple surrenders to Telangana police after decades on the run
Mala Sanjeev joined the Jana Natya Mandali of CPI (ML) People’s War under the leadership of Gummadi Vittal alias Gadda in 1980
HYDERABAD: A 62-year-old leader of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and his wife, 50, on Thursday surrendered to the Rachakonda police in Telangana after almost four decades on the run.
Mala Sanjeev alias Lengu Dada and his wife Perugula Parvathi alias Deena were secretariat members of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), Rachakonda police commissioner G Sudheer Babu said.
The two were last operating out of neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
“The couple, who have been underground for nearly four decades, decided to surrender as they were attracted by the Telangana government’s rehabilitation schemes. It is a major success of this outreach,” Sudheer Babu told reporters.
Mala Sanjeev, a native of Medchal–Malkajgiri district, joined the Jana Natya Mandali (JNM) of CPI (ML) People’s War under the leadership of Gummadi Vittal alias Gaddar in 1980 and worked in it until 1986.
“As a key associate of Gaddar, he collaborated with members such as Dappu Ramesh, Daya, Vidya, and Divakar in conducting various cultural programs across nearly 16 states in India to spread the ideology of CPI (ML) People’s War and attract people to the movement,” the police commissioner said.
In 1982, he married Panjala Saroj alias Vidya, a native of Huzurabad area in Karimnagar district. She died in an encounter at Kannaigudem mandal of Mulug district in 2002.
Mala Sanjeev worked in various squads of the CPI (ML) People’s War and was promoted to the state committee and the north Telangana special zonal committee.
“In 2003, he was transferred to the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) and was in charge of Chaitanya Natya Manch (CNM).
In 2007, he married Perugula Parvathi alias Deena who was also with its Chaitanya Natya Manch (CNM). They organized cultural programmes across the Dandakaranya region to mobilise tribal communities.
Both composed and sang songs in Hindi, Telugu, and Koya languages, trained CNM cadres, and actively performed in programmes to attract tribals to the guerrilla outfit.
Parvathi, who hailed from Vankeshwaram village of Padara mandal of Nagarkurnool district, joined the movement in 1992. She initially worked in armed squads in the Nallamala region before shifting to propaganda activities. She became a state committee member in 2018 and played an active role in mobilising tribal communities in Chhattisgarh.
“If underground Maoists return to their native villages, the Telangana government will extend all benefits under its rehabilitation schemes and other support systems available to those who join the mainstream. The government will provide full assistance to help them lead an independent and dignified life,” the Rachakonda police commissioner added.
