Senior CPI (Maoist) leader and Polit Bureau member, Malloujula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu, laid down weapons along with 60 other Naxal terrorists on Tuesday (14th October) in Gadhchiroli, Maharashtra. This comes after Sonu released a press statement in September this year, indicating his intent to surrender.
Malloujula Venugopal Rao@Sonu, Polit Bureau member of CPI/Maoist, laid down weapons along with 60 Maoist cadres today in Gadhchiroli, Maharashtra, as a result of sustained operations by police under leadership of Union HM Amit Shah and state govts across the country: Official… https://t.co/iqXpckIAEu pic.twitter.com/z7WAcDngEZ
— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2025
As per reports, there were speculations a few weeks ago that Sonu had quit the banned CPI (Maoist). He is said to have urged his comrades to “save themselves” by laying down weapons and joining the mainstream, in a letter attributed to him. According to the police, his appeal received support from many sub-zonal bureaus of the CPI (Maoist). The police also said that the Naxal leader had also issued statements implying that he and several other Maoist cadres were willing to have a ceasefire.
In pursuance of the Modi government’s resolution to completely eliminate Naxalism from the country, the security forces have been carrying out intensive anti-Naxal operations in the Nxal-affected areas. As of 2015, approximately 106 districts across 10 states were classified as naxal-affected. This number was reduced to 38 by 2024 and further to 18. Out of these, 12 were considered the most impacted by Naxal activities, yet this figure has now fallen to just 6. As a result of the successful anti-Naxal operations of the security forces, the CPI (Maoist) requested the central government for a ceasefire last month. The CPI (Maoist) expressed readiness to give up arms and urged the Central government to announce a one-month ceasefire and pause the ongoing anti-Naxal operations.
However, the Naxalite offer of a ceasefire was rejected by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who asked the Naxal to lay down weapons and surrender. The Union Home Minister assured the Naxal cadres, who choose to lay down their weapons, that they would not be targeted by the security forces.
Intensifying their operation against Naxals, the security forces eliminated several Naxal leaders, including dreaded Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, this year. The elimination of Maoist leadership by the security forces has weakened the Maoist cadres, which are now staring at a certain end. To achieve the goal of Naxalism-free country, the Modi government launched Operation Kagar in January 2024.
It is a multi-pronged strategy combining aggressive military operations, enhanced coordination between Central and State forces, and development efforts to address the root causes of Naxalism. Under this operation, around 1 lakh para-military troops, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its elite CoBRA units, District Reserve Guards DRG), and state police, have been deployed in the left-wing terrorism affected areas.
Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that India will be completely Naxal-free by March 31, 2026.
