Senior Maoist Commander Bhupathi Lays Down Arms with 60 Cadres in Gadchiroli

Senior Naxalite leader Mallojula Venugopal, better known as Bhupathi or Sonu, surrendered late Monday night alongside 60 cadres in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. This mass defection includes high-ranking members like a central committee figure and ten divisional committee operatives, delivering what security officials describe as a crippling setback to the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist). Bhupathi, long revered as a master tactician, oversaw critical platoon operations along the volatile Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, making his exit a game-changer in the decades-long conflict.

Bhupathi's influence extended far beyond the battlefield; he was the ideological powerhouse and communications guru for the Maoists, serving as the vital link to external sympathizers, urban intellectuals, and frontal organizations hidden in plain sight. According to intelligence sources quoted by The Indian Express, "Sonu used to have ties with the outside world. He used to be the connect with Maoist sympathisers and frontal organisations. With his exit, it is clear that the Maoist party has suffered a setback." His departure severs these clandestine networks, potentially isolating the group from funding, propaganda support, and recruitment drives that have sustained their operations in the dense forests of central India.

The surrender stems from escalating internal rifts that have plagued the Maoist hierarchy in recent months. PTI reports, citing insiders, reveal growing disagreements between Bhupathi and top commanders, culminating in ideological clashes over the future of the armed struggle. Bhupathi publicly declared the violent path a failure, pointing to eroding public backing, heavy cadre losses in encounters with security forces, and the futility of continued warfare. He advocated for peace talks and dialogue, a stance that drew fierce opposition from hardliners who rallied behind alternative leadership to persist in the fight.

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Facing mounting pressure from the central Naxal brass, Bhupathi relented, formally announcing his withdrawal from the outfit before laying down arms with his loyal followers in front of Gadchiroli police. This dramatic turn follows a pattern of erosion in the region, where Gadchiroli has seen a surge in surrenders amid intensified anti-Naxal operations, improved rehabilitation policies, and community outreach programs offering amnesty and livelihoods to defectors. Earlier this year, Bhupathi's wife, Tarakka—a key member of the Dandkaranya special zonal committee—also surrendered, signaling deepening cracks within personal and organizational loyalties.

Analysts predict this event could accelerate the Maoists' decline, already weakened by arrests, encounters, and desertions across red corridors in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha. With Bhupathi's strategic mind and connections lost, the group's ability to regroup or launch major offensives appears severely hampered, boosting government claims of nearing the end of left-wing extremism. As rehabilitation efforts kick in for the 61 surrenderers, including vocational training and security cover, the incident underscores how internal dissent and battlefield fatigue are unraveling one of India's longest-running insurgencies from within.

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