Overview

• Of the 17 cadres who defected on May 30, two were Area Committee members, four were party operatives and the rest were militia fighters.
• These latest surrenders lift Bhadradri Kothagudem’s total to 282 Maoist defectors in 2025, covering ranks from Division Committee to Gram Raksha Dal.
• Under the police’s Operation Cheyutha, surrendered cadres receive cash rewards, tribal welfare benefits and long-term rehabilitation support, including for those defecting from neighboring Chhattisgarh.
• Mulugu district officers, acting on local intelligence, recently arrested 20 Maoist cadres and seized a dozen weapons in coordinated raids.
• Security encounters, notably at Karregutta, have killed 31 Maoist cadres in operations conducted since early 2025.