Overview

• Officials in Gadchiroli said Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Bhupathi or Sonu, turned himself in late Monday night along with roughly 60 Maoist cadres.
• Those surrendering include a member of the CPI (Maoist) central committee and ten divisional committee members, indicating a major leadership setback for the outfit.
• Reports describe the event as one of the most significant mass surrenders in recent years, though claims about unprecedented scale continue to be qualified by agencies.
• Bhupathi had recently argued the armed struggle had failed and urged a shift to dialogue, a stance that deepened internal rifts and preceded the defections.
• Authorities are extracting intelligence and tightening security in the district, as government reintegration policies offering amnesty, financial aid, and skills training are cited as factors behind the wave of surrenders.