New Delhi: In what is likely to come as a huge blow to Maoists, one of their most high-ranking members, Oggu Satwaji, better known as Sudhakar, surrendered along with his wife Neelima, who is also a member of the CPI (Maoist), before the Telangana police on Monday.
The two are understood to have a bounty of over Rs 1.5 crore on them.
Sudhakar is also listed in the 'most wanted' category compiled by the NIA. Sudhakar was a member of both the central committee (CC) and politburo, the highest decision-making body, of the CPI (Maoist).
Sources said Sudhakar's is only the second instance of such a high profile surrender since the formation of the group after the merger of the People’s War Group (PWG) and Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI) in 2004.
The last such surrender being of CC and politburo member Jinugu Narasimha Reddy alias Jampanna, who also surrendered, along with his wife, before the Telangana police back in December 2017.
Sources in the intelligence bureau described Sudhakar's surrender as "a huge blow" to the Red extremists.
"He is somebody who has had a bird's eye view of the Maoist movement since its inception. He is bound to be a huge asset to the state. The information that he shares will be invaluable."
Sudhakar is known for being a gifted strategist in the Maoist ranks, sources told News18. It was this quality of his that ensured his rapid rise in the banned extremist group.
Hailing from Sarangpur village in Telangana's Adilabad district, Sudhakar is understood to have joined the People's War Group in 1990 while studying in Class XII.
"Because of his skills he was soon promoted as the area commander of Telangana's Chennur area. In 2004, after the merger of PWG and MCCI into the CPI (Maoist), he was made a zonal committee member in Andhra Pradesh. Seven years later, in 2011, he was included in Dandakaranya special zonal committee," a source told News18.
Dandakaranya zone — South Chhattisgarh, along with parts of Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra — holds a great importance for the Maoists as it is the last big zone where they still hold some sway.
In 2015, Sudhakar and his wife were sent to Jharkhand, from where Maoists still derive great financial support, to revive the outfit's activities there.
Sudhakar was given charge of Bihar Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC). Sources say that the husband-wife were accompanied by Ganapathy, who was then the most senior-ranking Red leader — CPI (Maoist) general secretary — and Basavaraju, the man who last year, replaced Ganapathy.
"He had the trust of every senior Maoist leader. More than his military skills, his skills in mobilising people, in politically strengthening the Maoist ideology, was valued. He was very good at recruiting people," a source told News18.
While the reasons and terms for his surrender are not very clear, what is known is that Sudhakar was seriously involved in property dealing. His brother was arrested in September 2017 with Rs 25 lakh in cash and over half a kilo of gold biscuits valued at Rs 12 lakh.
"Sudhakar is likely to have preferred to surrender before Telangana police because of the favourable surrender policy and because it is his home state. He is likely to bring with him other lower-ranking leaders who also want to lay down their guns,” the source further added.
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