Top Maoist leader Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji formally surrendered before the Telangana Police Tuesday, citing his “failing health” for his decision.

Considered one of the highest-ranking leaders of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), the 62-year-old Devuji — who has spent 44 years underground — surrendered along with four more leaders of the outlawed CPI (Maoist).

At a press conference, Devuji said it “wasn’t just for himself” that he took the decision.

“I have decided to work within the legal framework and adopt political life. I will always be at the people’s side,” Devuji, who wore a neatly pressed white shirt and cotton trousers, said, adding that despite giving up arms, he will be guided by the ideology he had so far followed.

The surrender comes ahead of the central government’s March deadline to end the Maoist insurgency.

According to police records, Devuji was a Politburo member and a member of the banned outfit’s Central Committee. He headed the Central Military Commission for more than two decades. A native of Korutla town in Jagtial district, Devuji’s father Venkata Narasaiah was a  farmer. He has three siblings, none of whom are part of the insurgency.

Devuji married Arike Jaini alias Srujana from Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. While she was a party member when she married Devuji, she was later elevated to the rank of Regional Committee Member (RCM) and was killed in an encounter in 2020.

A Madiga Dalit, Devuji studied in a private school up to Class 5 and later completed his higher schooling in a government upper primary school. He joined a government junior college for his intermediate, where he was “attracted to revolutionary politics and joined Radical Students Union (RSU)”, police records say.

Before joining the CPI (ML) People’s War Group — a Maoist organisation — in 1982, Devuji was president of RSU in Korutla town and Karimnagar district of Telangana. In 2004, the People’s War Group merged with Maoist Communist Centre to become what is now the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

According to intelligence reports, Devuji was sent to Dandakaranya by former general secretary of the CPI (Maoist), Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi. With Devuji, Malla Raji Reddy alias Sangram — who also surrendered Tuesday — was sent to the forest to “work in the armed squad”.

In April 1989, Devuji was promoted to the Divisional Committee and worked in Gadchiroli Division. In 1993, he was appointed secretary of the North Gadchiroli Sub-Divisional Committee and, in September 1995, promoted as Special Zonal Committee member and made in charge of the Bandaara Divisional Committee as secretary.

At the ninth congress of the party in 2007, Devuji was promoted as a member of the Central Committee and became a Central Military Commission member. In 2017, he assumed charge as in charge of the Central Military Commission — the armed wing of the CPI (Maoist).

“He was subsequently elected as a Politburo member, a position he continues to hold till date,” Telangana Director General of Police Shivadhar Reddy, who presented Devuji with a cheque of Rs 25 lakh, told the media. Along with Devuji and Sangram, state committee members Bade Chokka Rao alias Damodar and Nune Narasimha alias Ganganna also surrendered Tuesday.

The surrender comes at a time when security forces are intensifying anti-insurgency operations ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s March 31, 2026 deadline to end the insurgency.

For the insurgents, this comes as yet another blow to a movement enfeebled by a series of killings and surrenders, including the deaths of top leaders such as Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju and Madvi Hidma in encounters, and the surrenders of leaders such as Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu, and Barsa Deva alias Barsa Sukka.

After Basavaraju’s killing, the Central Committee of the CPI (Maoist) did not meet to elect a new general secretary, DGP Shivadhar Reddy said, adding: “Had the CC met, Devuji would have become the general secretary”.

According to Telangana Police, the Maoist outfit is currently at its weakest, especially since it doesn’t have a general secretary.

After Sonu’s surrender, Devuji had also been acting as the official spokesperson of the CPI (Maoist) under the name Abhay. When asked whether it was Sonu’s surrender that prompted his decision, Devuji said: “This decision was taken because of my ill health and now is not the time to discuss other matters”.