Speculation has been rife that the Telangana police may have located Muppala Lakshmana Rao, better known by his nom de guerre Ganapathy, in Nepal and possibly taken him into custody. He served as the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), formed after the merger of the People’s War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre in 2004. He held the post until 2018 and reportedly stepped down due to ill-health.
When reporters asked Telangana Director General of Police B. Sivadhar Reddy about Ganapathy’s whereabouts, he stated that they were certain he was not in the forests and could be living in an urban shelter while undergoing medical treatment. “I think he, too, wants to surrender now,” the DGP remarked.
The media have taken sharply divergent positions. While the Telugu daily Andhra Jyothi reported that Ganapathy had been arrested, the Times of India stated that police were yet to confirm his location. The Telugu newspaper claimed that Telangana police had taken Ganapathy and his wife, Jode Rathnabhai alias Sujatha, into custody in Nepal and could produce them before the media within two days. With the police remaining tight-lipped, clarity may take time.
Ganapathy was born on June 16, 1949, in Birpur village of Karimnagar district in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. He completed his BSc and later pursued a BEd degree. He worked as a science teacher in Karimnagar district before leaving his job to pursue higher education in Warangal, where he was drawn to the People’s War Group. He rose through the ranks and played a key role in the unification of Maoist factions.
Known more as an ideologue and tactician than a field commander, Ganapathy oversaw a period during which the CPI (Maoist) expanded its influence across parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, at its peak operating in more than 15 states. He voluntarily stepped down in 2018, citing ill-health. If Telangana police secure his surrender, it could mark a decisive phase in the decline of the armed Maoist movement.
To secure the surrender of Devuji, considered the senior-most leader after Ganapathy, along with Malla Raji Reddy, Bade Chokka Rao, and Nune Narsimha Reddy, the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) of Telangana reportedly went the extra mile. B. Sumati, in charge of the SIB, is said to have conducted parallel negotiations with the four leaders to facilitate their surrender.
She initially reached out to their relatives and close associates to open communication channels, assuring them of safe passage, an honourable surrender and rehabilitation. However, the encounter of central committee member Madvi Hidma on November 18 last year slowed the process, with Devuji reportedly becoming apprehensive and halting engagement with the police.
Devuji is said to have sought meetings with senior leaders such as Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu and Asanna to discuss future strategy. Venugopal Rao later wrote an open letter about internal differences over continuing the armed struggle and surrendered before Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on November 15, 2025.
The SIB first established contact with Raji Reddy and then took his help to contact Devuji. Though initially wary of the Telangana police, Devuji reportedly came to trust the SIB. Convincing Bade Chokka Rao proved more challenging, but once he agreed, Nune Narsimha Reddy, who largely represented the party in Andhra Pradesh, followed.
Telangana police are now said to be working to bring back the remaining 11 Telanganites still active in the movement, with Ganapathy viewed as their principal target. The Telangana DGP has declared that the Maoist movement was born in Telangana and will end there. If Ganapathy surrenders, it could signal the closing chapter of its armed struggle phase.