In a significant blow to left-wing extremism in central India, a high-ranking commander of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) has laid down his arms. Badse Deva, also known as Sukka, surrendered before the Telangana police along with several of his associates, marking a major success for security forces.
A Battle-Hardened Guerrilla Commander
Badse Deva, 48, was a close confidant of the slain top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma. Hailing from Puvvarthi in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, the same native place as Hidma, Deva had a combined reward of ₹75 lakh on his head. Authorities in Telangana had announced ₹25 lakh, while Chhattisgarh police offered ₹50 lakh for information leading to his capture.
Police officers described him as one of the most experienced and battle-hardened guerrilla commanders operating in the dense Dandakaranya forest region. His surrender is expected to be formally announced by top police officials on Saturday.
25-Year Reign and Notorious Attacks
Deva's association with the CPI (Maoist) movement spanned a quarter of a century, beginning in the year 2000. His long and violent career is linked to some of the deadliest attacks in recent Indian history. Police dossiers hold him responsible for:
- The 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre in Bastar, which claimed the lives of 27 Congress leaders.
- The April 2021 Tekulagudem ambush in Bijapur, where 22 police personnel were killed.
- At least five major IED attacks between 2006 and 2019, including the blast that killed BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi.
- Recent strikes in 2025, such as the January 16 attack on a Dharmaram base in Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Telangana, and the January 30 assault on a CRPF camp at Jeeramguda in Chhattisgarh.
Deva rose swiftly through the Maoist ranks. After working with the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangh till 2003, he climbed to become a Dandakaranya special zonal committee member in December 2022. By June 2023, he was appointed as a PLGA battalion commander. He previously served as the Darbha division secretary in 2018 and became a state-level committee member in 2022.
The Path to Surrender
The surrender culminated from sustained pressure by Telangana's elite anti-Maoist force, the Greyhounds, and intelligence agencies. Sources indicate that Deva and his group had slipped into the forests of Telangana in October 2025 and were operating alongside the state committee led by senior Maoist Bade Chokka Rao alias Damodar.
Intense and persistent combing operations severely restricted the group's mobility in the region. This relentless pressure, combined with constant appeals from senior police officers, finally prompted Deva to choose the path of surrender. A Class 10 educated individual, Deva was known to be fluent in Koya, Telugu, and Hindi, and was rarely seen without his AK-47 rifle.
The surrender of a figure of Deva's stature is a substantial achievement for the Telangana police and intelligence network. It not only disrupts the operational capabilities of the Maoists in the vital Dandakaranya zone but also deals a psychological blow to the insurgent group, potentially encouraging other cadres to reconsider their path.
