Wife of Slain Maoist Kishenji Surrenders, Receives ₹25 Lakh Rehabilitation

In a major blow to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), senior Central Committee member Pothula Padmavati, alias Sujatha, surrendered before the Telangana Police on Saturday, citing deteriorating health and a desire to rejoin mainstream society. The 62-year-old, a key figure in the Maoist movement for 43 years and widow of slain leader Mallojula Koteshwar Rao (Kishanji), handed herself over in Hyderabad, marking a significant victory for the state’s anti-Maoist strategy.

Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Jitender hailed Padmavati’s surrender as a testament to the government’s holistic approach, which combines rehabilitation incentives with robust security measures. “Her decision reflects a personal need to prioritize her well-being after decades of underground life,” a police release stated. Padmavati, a native of Jogulamba Gadwal district, was handed a Rs 25 lakh reward and will receive further benefits under Telangana’s rehabilitation policy for surrendered cadres.

Padmavati’s journey with the Maoists began in 1982 during her college days, influenced by Marxist-Leninist ideology through her cousins, notably Patel Sudhakar Reddy, a senior Maoist leader killed in 2009. She initially worked as a village campaigner for the Radical Students Union (RSU) and later joined the Jana Natya Mandali, a cultural outfit, where she briefly collaborated with folk singer Gaddar. In 1984, she married Kishanji, a prominent Maoist leader who died in a 2011 police encounter in West Bengal. The couple has one daughter, left in the care of an activist when they were transferred to the Dandakaranya Forest Committee in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district in 1987.

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Over the decades, Padmavati rose through the ranks, serving as Deputy Commander, Commander, and later as a Divisional and State Committee Member. In 2023, she was elevated to the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee, taking charge of the ‘Janathana Sarkar’—the Maoists’ parallel governance system under the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee in Chhattisgarh. In May 2025, citing health concerns, she communicated her intent to leave the organization through senior Maoist leader Pulluri Prasada Rao, formally requesting to rejoin mainstream society with government support.

Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar seized the moment to appeal to remaining Maoists, stating on X, “As per Hon’ble HM Shri Amit Shah Ji’s call, I urge Maoists: Lay down arms. Armed revolutions are outdated. Join the path of development.” The surrender adds to a remarkable trend, with 404 Maoist cadres, including high-ranking members, surrendering in Telangana in 2025 alone, inspired by the state’s rehabilitation policies and sustained pressure on the insurgency.

With 10 of the CPI (Maoist)’s 15 Central Committee members hailing from Telangana, the DGP urged the 78 remaining underground cadres from the state to return to their villages. Padmavati’s exit, driven by personal and policy-driven factors, underscores the weakening grip of the Maoist movement and highlights Telangana’s success in blending enforcement with rehabilitation to dismantle the insurgency.

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