Hyderabad: In a major success in the fight against Left Wing Extremism, 20 Maoists surrendered in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Among those who laid down their arms was 48-year-old senior CPI (Maoist) commander Barse Deva alias Barse Sukka alias Darshan. His surrender marks the end of one of the bloodiest chapters of Naxalites violence in central India.
Deva, who had a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head, is a tribal who joined the extremist movement in 2003. Officials say that he was behind the killing of over 121 security personnel and civilians over the last two decades.
He was among the last active top commanders of the Maoists in the Bastar region, NDTV has reported.
This was evident by the sheer quantity and grade of weapons he handed over to Telangana DGP Shivadhar Reddy. These included 48 light machine guns (LMGs). He also handed over Rs 20 lakh in cash.
A native of Puvvarthi village in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, the Koya tribal studied till Class 10, rose from a foot soldier to become the Commander of PLGA Battalion No 1, the most feared armed wing of the banned CPI (Maoist).
He started under ground activities in 2000 as a member of the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisaan Mazdoor Sangh (DAKMS) and became a State Committee Member (DKSZCM) of the banned outfit. He held great influence across the south Bastar, Dantewada and Sukma areas, known strongholds of the Red Rebels.
A close associate of Maoist leader Madavi Hidma, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in Andhra Pradesh in November last year, he was appointed commander of of Batallion 1 following Hidma’s elevation in the party.
Security agencies have described him as a hardline strategist
, deeply involved in planning high-casualty attacks, IED ambushes and assaults on fortified security camps.
For years, Deva remained one of the most wanted Maoists in the country. Of the cumulative reward of over Rs 1 crore announced for his capture, Rs 50 lakh alone was announced by by Chhattisgarh Police and Rs 25 lakh by Telangana Police.
According to Telangana and central intelligence agencies, Deva was directly involved in dozens of major Maoist operations, including:
The IED blast at Erraboru in Sukma on February 2006 that killed 25 Salwa Judum members.
The bus blast Singavaram (Dantewada) in May 2010 that killed 30 Koya Special Police Officers and injured 15.
The two seperate IED attacks at Dantewada in March and May 2016, killing 12 CRPF jawans.
The Kaukonda: IED attack of April 2019 that killed BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi and 4 security personnel.
Some of the ambushes he led include the one at Netnar (Jeeram Ghati) in October 2011, killing six security personnel, the May 2012 Kirandul (NMDC area) in which six CISF jawans and one civilian driver were killed, the March 2014, Jeeram Ghati strike, killing 15 security personnel belonging to the CRPF and DRG, the April 2021 dreaded attack at Tekulagudem that left 22 CRPF and DRG jawans dead and 31 injured and the October 2018 Nilawaya ambush in which three security personnel and one journalist died.
Deva also participated in the May 2013 Jhiram Ghati Congress convoy attack. This was one of the most shocking political massacres in Indian history, killing 27 Congress leaders, including former Union minister Mahendra Karma and Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel.
In January 2024, he participated in coordinated attacks on Dharmaram and Jeeramguda security camps with hundreds of armed cadres.
As many as 121 people died in these attacks and more than 55 injuries, spanning CRPF, DRG, CISF, state police personnel and civilians.
Fluent in Koya, Telugu and Hindi, Deva handled activities as an area committee member to divisional committee secretary, and finally the PLGA Battalion Commander.