Hyderabad: For the past couple of years, inspector general of police Badugula Sumathi had shunned the spotlight, preferring to remain behind the scenes, even while orchestrating one of the biggest surrenders by Maoist leaders.
Heading the special intelligence branch (SIB), an anti-Naxal agency of the Telangana police, she emerged as a key player in the likes of Devji and others giving up arms. During her stint in the bureau, 591 Maoists have surrendered of which four are key central committee members and 16 are state committee members.
Telangana DGP B Shivadhar Reddy, speaking on Tuesday during Devji's surrender, "B Sumathi was able to explain the current circumstances to the Maoist leaders and persuaded four of the top leaders to join the mainstream. Intelligence IG Vijay Kumar also did commendable work."
Counter-intelligence stint
Known to be a tenacious task-master, Sumathi's policing career spans working in the intelligence wing, helping uncover terror networks and field postings. She earlier worked as SP in the counter-intelligence cell in undivided Andhra Pradesh, where she was involved in operations targeting Indian Mujahideen-linked modules. She was instrumental in the interrogation of Indian Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and ISIS cadres too. Colleagues say this sharpened her intel and operational skills.
She started as a deputy superintendent of police, rose through the ranks, and was later inducted into the IPS. Her tenure in SIB began in Dec 2023, when she was transferred from DIG, CID (women protection cell), to DIG, SIB (intelligence).
Women's safety, technology & recognition
Beyond intelligence work, Sumathi's career also included women's safety and victim-support initiatives. In Medak, she was credited with conceptualising and implementing a multi-disciplinary distress intervention model for cases where police or court outcomes did not address underlying trauma.
During the recent Medaram Jatara, one of the biggest gatherings of tribals in the country in Telangana's Mulugu district, she played a key role in transforming the Telangana police through the TGQuest project. The Telangana Quality Evaluation And Systems Team is an AI-driven aerial system that uses drones and other high-end tools for law enforcement.
Sumathi was also awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service during the 2026 Republic Day function by the Union ministry of home. When contacted, she refused to comment on her work.
Sudhakar Reddy Udumula is the Editor (Investigation) at the Times...
Read MoreSudhakar Reddy Udumula is the Editor (Investigation) at the Times of India, Hyderabad. Following the trail of migration and drought across the rustic landscape of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sudhakar reported extensively on government apathy, divisive politics, systemic gender discrimination, agrarian crisis and the will to survive great odds. His curiosity for peeking behind the curtain triumphed over the criminal agenda of many scamsters in the highest political and corporate circles, making way for breaking stories such as Panama Papers Scam, Telgi Stamp Paper Scam, and many others. His versatility in reporting extended to red corridors of left-wing extremism where the lives of security forces and the locals in Maoist-affected areas were key points of investigation. His knack for detail provided crucial evidence of involvement from overseas in terrorist bombings in Hyderabad.
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