61 Naxalites, including senior cadre Bhupati, surrender in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli

Senior Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal alias Bhupathi and 60 other cadres have surrendered before police in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, officials said on Tuesday. They turned themselves in before the police late Monday night, an official said.

Those who surrendered included a member of the central committee and 10 members of a divisional committee of the outlawed CPI ( Maoist), the official said.

Venugopal alias Bhupathi alias Sonu was considered one of the most influential strategists in the Maoist organisation and had long supervised platoon operations along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, according to sources.

However, growing differences between him and the top Naxal leadership in recent months led to internal conflict, they said.

Bhupathi had claimed that the armed struggle failed and appealed for a shift towards peace and dialogue, citing diminishing public support and the loss of hundreds of cadres.

His stand met with resistance from other senior cadres who decided to continue the fight under another leader, the sources said.

Under pressure from the central Naxal leadership, Bhupathi eventually agreed to lay down arms, announced his exit from the outfit, and surrendered with his followers before the Gadchiroli police, they said.

In recent months, Gadchiroli district has witnessed a steady stream of Naxalites surrendering before the police.
Earlier this year, Bhupathi's wife Tarakka also surrendered. She was a member of the Dandkaranya special zonal committee of the outlawed movement.