The highest-ranking member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji has surrendered in Telangana along with 20 other Maoist cadres, two highly-placed sources said. From Jagtial in Telangana, Devuji is now 62 years old and carries a bounty of Rs 1 crore. Tirupathi is believed to have joined the Maoist party in the 1980s, when it was still known as People’s War Group. PWG and the Maoist Communist Centre merged in 2004 to form the present-day Maoist party. The strength of the banned outfit has fallen manifold by 1/10th of its original size, a Telangana intelligence source had earlier said.

Source: Indian Express February 22, 2026 09:06 UTC