Hyderabad: Police recovered a huge cache of 5 kg of bombs in the Bhupalpally district last week. Furthermore, based on information provided by the surrendered Communist Party of India (Maoists), security agencies have recovered 70 hidden explosives from the Karregutta Hills over the past few months as part of anti-sabotage measures. In an effort to make the area safe for local villagers and security personnel, police are gathering information about where the Maoists had previously planted bombs to target security forces searching for Naxals.In Telangana, several villages have been sanitised with the help of information shared by surrendered Naxals, especially those in the middle and lower ranks. “Over the past few months, our focus has been on the Karregutta Hills, where 70 explosives and IEDs were defused. However, work is still ongoing in the Chhattisgarh area since the extent of the area and the number of explosives planted is massive,” sources said.Following the surrender of Tippiri Tirupati, also known as Devji — a senior Maoist leader who surrendered alongside three other central committee members a few days ago — police are now attempting to recover weapons. According to officials, 200 weapons have already been seized from surrendered Naxals in Telangana, with a further 100 yet to be recovered.Officials have found that most of the weaponry used by the Maoists was stolen from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) or the Chhattisgarh police. Devji and the other senior central committee members reportedly surrendered their arms — which will be returned — to Maoist party members in Chhattisgarh before walking unarmed to Telangana police.Over the next few days, the top Maoist leaders who have surrendered will be required to obtain Aadhaar cards and open bank accounts. The Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) of Telangana police, with the support of revenue officials, will help the surrendered Naxals implement the rehabilitation policy depending on their needs.BOXWith the surrender of the CPI Maoist top brass, who control the party’s wealth, the location of the gold owned by active Maoists remains a mystery. However, sources said that, at this point in time, determining the status of the wealth is not a priority; the focus is on recovering weaponry.
