Top woman Maoist leader surrenders to Telangana Police on health grounds

Pothula Padmavathi, alias Kalpana joined the mainstream in the presence of director general of police (DGP) Jithender.

Pothula Padmavathi, alias Kalpana, Top member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and wife of slain Maoist leader Mallojula Koteshwar Rao, alias Kishenji, surrendered to Telangana Police on Saturday on health grounds.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the 62-year-old top Maoist leader, who had been underground for 43 years and operated under various names, including Mynabai, Mynakka, and Sujatha, joined the mainstream in the presence of director general of police (DGP) Jithender. She was carrying a bounty of ₹1 crore, including ₹25 lakh announced by the Telangana government.

“Her decision reflects a personal need to prioritise her well-being after decades of underground life. She expressed her intention to lead a normal life, take care of her health, and live peacefully with her family by availing the rehabilitation measures extended by the government,” the DGP was quoted by HT as saying.

DGP Jithender said Padmavathi, who is from Penchikalpadu village in Jogulamba Gadwal district, was a central committee and secretariat member of the CPI (Maoist). She was operating as south sub-zonal bureau secretary and in-charge of Janathana Sarkar, also known as the Revolutionary People’s Committees of Maoist bases under the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC).

“In May 2025, due to deteriorating health, Padmavathi had expressed her desire to leave the CPI (Maoist) on health grounds and conveyed the same to the party through central committee member Pulluri Prasada Rao alias Chandranna,” the DGP added.

Padmavathi comes from a family of agriculturists, and “inspired by her cousins” — Patel Sudhakar Reddy @ Suryam, a central committee member who died in an encounter with police in 2009; Pothula Sudershan Reddy alias RK, a divisional committee member who died by drowning in the Krishna River in the Nallamala forests; and the latter’s wife Suguna, who died in an exchange of fire with the police — she “joined the CPI (ML) People’s War Group in December 1982,” the DGP was quoted as saying.

Initially, Padmavathi worked as a village campaigner, along with Suguna, and later joined Jana Natya Mandali, where she briefly worked with Gaddar and Mala Sanjeev alias Lengu Dada, who recently surrendered to the police.

She later worked at the Peace Book Centre in Hyderabad’s Koti for a year, where she became acquainted with Kishenji, then the Andhra Pradesh state committee secretary of CPI (ML) PWG, whom she married in 1984.

Kishenji was killed in a gun battle between the rebels and joint forces inside the dense forest of Burishol in West Midnapore in 2011. “Kishanji later became the central committee member (CCM) and secretary of the West Bengal state committee of CPI (Maoist). He died on November 24, 2011. The couple had one daughter,” the DGP added.

In 1987, Sujatha and Kishenji were transferred to the Dandakaranya forest committee in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district. Over the following decades, Sujatha served the party in various roles, including state committee member, DKSZC secretariat member looking after Janatana Sarkar, and later as its secretary.

“In 2023, Padmavathi was inducted into the central committee as its member. She was the only woman member of the CPI (Maoist) central committee,” Jithender said.

“We shall hand over the demand draft for ₹25 lakh to her now on her surrender. In addition, she will receive further benefits in accordance with the Telangana government’s rehabilitation policy for surrendered cadres,” the DGP was quoted as saying.