Overview

• Sixty-one CPI (Maoist) members, including central committee and politburo figure Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi, surrendered in a ceremony witnessed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Gadchiroli police headquarters.
• The group handed over 54 weapons — including seven AK-47s, six SLRs and nine INSAS rifles — and entered rehabilitation under state policy after receiving copies of the Constitution.
• Those surrendering included two zonal committee members and 10 divisional committee members, with police calling it one of the biggest setbacks to the outfit in the region.
• Gadchiroli Police’s Intelligence Cell and C-60 commandos facilitated the months-long negotiations, following the earlier surrender of Bhupathi’s wife, Tarakka, in January.
• Fadnavis hailed the move as a decisive shift, announced a Rs 1 crore reward for Gadchiroli Police, promised rehabilitation and jobs, and signaled further development investment as authorities anticipate more defections.