GADCHIROLI: In a landmark development in fight against left-wing extremism, Mallojula Venugopal Rao, popularly known as Sonu Bhupathi — the most senior politburo member of the state’s Maoist hierarchy — surrendered to police on Wednesday along with 60 other People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) fighters.
The event, held in Gadchiroli, is being described as the largest surrender parade in the history of the Maoist insurgency in Maharashtra.
The parade was attended by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and director general of police Rashmi Shukla, among other senior officials.
Bhupathi, who had a bounty of Rs 60 lakh on his head, struck a rehabilitation deal with negotiators on Tuesday night before making the surrender.
In a dramatic move, the 69-year-old former PLGA central military commission chief trekked 25km from his Maoist encampment to the designated surrender point. His second-in-command, Prabhakaran, was initially part of the contingent but reportedly vanished into the forests along with four women guerrillas during the final stretch of the journey.
Bhupathi’s surrender marks the end of a 35-year journey as a Maoist outlaw, during which he wielded significant influence over the outfit’s almost demolished military stronghold in Abujmarh, Chhattisgarh. Officials hailed the event as a “turning point” in the state’s counter-insurgency efforts and reiterated that rehabilitation and reintegration measures would be provided to surrendered cadres willing to return to mainstream society.
Speaking at the event, CM Fadnavis lauded the surrender as a victory for peace and development in the affected regions. “This parade demonstrates that dialogue and rehabilitation can be effective in ending decades of violence,” he said.
The surrender comes after six months of wait-and-watch negotiations, following Bhupathi’s initial feelers for a ceasefire. Security officials stated that the rehabilitation package, along with assurances of safety and livelihood opportunities, played a key role in convincing the Maoist leader and his cadre to lay down arms.
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