Close associate of Madvi Hidma, senior Maoist commander Barse Deva surrenders in Telangana

Senior Maoist military commander Barse Deva alias Sainath surrendered before Telangana Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy on Friday, Hindustan Times reported, citing officials familiar with the development.

Deva, who carried a cumulative reward of ₹25.47 lakh, is currently in Telangana police custody and will be produced before the media on Saturday, a senior police officer said to HT on condition of anonymity.

Surrender along with cadres

Report says that Deva, along with a group of Maoist cadres, crossed into Telangana from Chhattisgarh on Thursday evening and was brought to Hyderabad on Friday. Around 15 to 17 cadres are reported to have surrendered along with him.

Key role in Maoist military structure

The 45-year-old was the in-charge of Battalion Number 1, considered the last core fighting unit of the Maoist organisation. He has held the rank of Area Zonal Committee Member (AZCM) since 2021. Battalion Number 1 has long been regarded as central to the Maoists’ armed strength.

Close associate of Madvi Hidma

Deva was a close associate of senior Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, who was killed in an encounter in the Maredumilli forests of Andhra Pradesh on November 18. Following Hidma’s death, Deva emerged as a key figure overseeing armed operations as chief of the Maoists’ military wing, the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA).

Involvement in major attacks

Both Deva and Hidma hailed from Puvarti village in Sukma district, an area that remained under Maoist control for nearly four decades until a security camp was set up in February 2024. The duo was involved in planning and executing several major attacks, including the May 25, 2013 Darbha Ghati ambush that killed 27 people and the April 2021 Sukma-Bijapur ambush in which 22 security personnel were killed.

Weapons, logistics and surrender recovery

Officials said Deva played a critical role over the years in weapons procurement, logistics, and the planning and coordination of armed squads, particularly in the forested regions of south Bastar, including Sukma and adjoining districts. A mounted Light Machine Gun (LMG) was recovered from him at the time of surrender, and members of his military operations team also laid down arms.

Blow to Maoist leadership

At the time of his surrender, Deva was considered part of the Maoist organisation’s top strategic trio, along with party chief Tippiri Tirupati alias Devji and Telangana state committee secretary Bade Chokka Rao alias Damodar. Senior officials described him as one of the most influential Maoist leaders after Hidma’s death.

PLGA weakened by sustained operations

Intelligence inputs suggest that Battalion Number 1 once had a strength of around 130 armed cadres, but sustained counter-insurgency operations had significantly weakened the unit. Officials said Deva’s surrender has dealt a major blow to the Maoists’ operational structure, with the possibility that remaining members of the battalion may also approach authorities in the coming days.

Decline of Maoist armed wing

The PLGA, long regarded as the military backbone of the Maoist Central Military Commission, is now believed to be on the verge of collapse. With Hidma’s killing and Deva’s surrender, the outfit’s ability to carry out organised armed operations is considered to have been severely curtailed.

The PLGA was formed on December 2, 1999, as the People’s Guerrilla Army (PGA) and was renamed after the merger of CPI (People’s War) with the Maoist Communist Centre of India in September 2004. At its peak, it operated multiple battalions and platoons with an estimated strength of 10,000 to 12,000 armed cadres.