Senior Naxalite leader Mallojula Venugopal, widely known by his aliases Bhupathi and Sonu, surrendered to police in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district late Monday night along with 60 other cadres. 

The group’s formal surrender was confirmed by officials on Tuesday and marks one of the largest coordinated defections from the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in the region this year.

Among those who turned themselves in were one central committee member, ten divisional committee members, and several other lower-rank operatives. This significant surrender strikes at the organisational depth of Maoist structures in Gadchiroli and along the Maharashtra–Chhattisgarh border.

Bhupathi was regarded as one of the Maoist movement’s most influential military and strategic planners, having overseen platoon-level operations for years in the border belt. His operational footprint included planning ambushes, managing supply chains, and coordinating with other Maoist units in Bastar and south Gadchiroli.

Sources indicate that internal disputes with the top Maoist leadership over strategy and ideology fueled the decision. In recent months, Bhupathi openly questioned the viability of the long-running armed struggle, arguing for a shift toward peace, dialogue, and political integration. He cited declining local support, weakening recruitment, and the mounting loss of cadres in encounters as evidence that the Maoist movement’s armed approach had failed.

This position met strong resistance within the CPI (Maoist). While Bhupathi sought disengagement from armed conflict, other senior leaders remained committed to militant operations under alternative leadership, deepening factionalisation within the group.

Under growing organisational and operational pressure, Bhupathi eventually agreed to relinquish his command. His decision culminated in Monday night’s surrender, where he formally announced his exit from the Maoist movement and laid down arms alongside loyal followers who shared his dissenting perspective.

The Gadchiroli district has in recent months reported multiple surrenders, reflecting the impact of heightened security operations, government rehabilitation schemes, and infrastructure development in traditionally Maoist-influenced areas. Local police have emphasised that these trends signal declining insurgent morale and increasing opportunities for peaceful reintegration.

Based On PTI Report