Maoist Chief Devji’s Surrender Further Dents Reds’ Influence Over Gadchiroli

Nagpur: The surrender by senior CPI (Maoist) leader Thippiri Tirupati alias Deoji alias Devji before Telangana police has dealt a major blow to left-wing extremism and brought a big turning point for Gadchiroli district, which once grappled with Maoist violence. Devji harboured a personal grudge against Gadchiroli police, as his wife Sujanakka was shot dead by the C-60 commandos in May 2020.Hailing from Karimnagar district in Telangana, Devji, around 60, was one of the outfit's highest-ranking military strategists. As head of the Central Military Commission and a key tactician in the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), he was widely regarded as the de facto general secretary following recent leadership changes and neutralisations.
Devji's surrender, along with up to 16 cadres and another top leader, aligned with the govt's aggressive push under Operation Kagar to eradicate Maoist influence by March 31, 2026, amid a surge in desertions across Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Telangana.The development holds profound significance for Gadchiroli in eastern Maharashtra. Devji's wife Sujanakka (also known as Chinakka or Jaini), a prominent divisional commander with a Rs16 lakh reward, was neutralised by the district's elite C-60 Commando Force in the Sinbhatti forests near Jarawandi village, Bhamragad tehsil. She faced 144 serious charges, including 44 murders.Left grief-stricken and enraged by Sujanakka's encounter, Deoji, who was then rising rapidly as a top PLGA planner, publicly vowed brutal revenge, threatening to redirect elite battalions from South Bastar to deliver the "worst setback" to Gadchiroli police. In the ensuing years, Maoist actions widely attributed to his directive included torching vehicles in Dhanora (north Gadchiroli), blockading roads across the district and into bordering Chhattisgarh, and launching ambushes — notably one near Poyarkothi that killed 2 policemen.These threats plunged Gadchiroli into prolonged tension. Anti-mine operations intensified, bomb detection and disposal squads were deployed routinely, and security convoys moved with extreme caution, fearing IEDs.With the PLGA severely weakened and top leaders either neutralised or defecting, the Eastern Vidarbha-Gadchiroli corridor can now pivot from defence to development, focusing on community outreach, school protection, road connectivity and peace consolidation. "Devji's exit ends one of the darkest military phases Gadchiroli endured. The constant dread of ambushes and hidden IEDs is over. Forces can finally prioritise winning hearts and building the future," a local officer said.