Telangana's Special Intelligence Branch, led by B Sumathi, successfully negotiated the surrender of top Maoist commander Thippiri Tirupati, marking a major victory in the state's fight against Maoist insurgency.
When B Sumathi, a saree-clad officer, sat on the dais along with Telangana Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy, few onlookers realised that she was the silent architect of the historic event unfolding before them.
On Tuesday, top Maoist commander Thippiri Tirupati alias Devuji and other Maoist leaders laid down their arms, marking a significant victory for the state.
As the head of the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) of the Telangana Police, Sumathi oversaw the long-drawn, delicate negotiations required to bring the high-ranking ultras back into the mainstream.
Devuji, a key Central Committee member of the proscribed organisation and the politburo member of the Maoist party, along with another central committee member, Malla Raji Reddy, and two other senior Maoist cadre, formally surrendered in the presence of state DGP B Shivadhar Reddy on Tuesday.
While addressing mediapersons during Devuji's surrender, Reddy made a special mention of Sumathi and her team.
"They (Devuji and other Maoists) have surrendered because of the excellent efforts of Special Intelligence Branch IG Sumathi and the SIB team. They (SIB team) played a crucial role in helping them understand the prevailing circumstances and to join the mainstream," Reddy said.
The DGP also lauded IGP Intelligence Vijay Kumar for the efforts.
"The SIB team carried out a very professional intelligence work to ensure the surrender of the senior ultras as they would become 'martyrs' if they would lose their lives in encounters and become 'heroes' if they are arrested, whereas they would become 'zeroes' if they surrendered," police sources said about the strategy behind making Maoist leaders to join the mainstream.
Unlike Mallojula Venugopal Rao, alias Sonu, a key Maoist leader, who surrendered before the Maharashtra government in October last year, Devuji had no plans to shun the Maoist path, and Sumathi saw to it that Devuji surrendered, police sources said.
Sumathi, a seasoned Intelligence official, has overseen the surrender of 591 Maoist leaders and cadres before the Telangana Police over the past two years.
She played an important role in executing undercover operations during her earlier stint in the counter-intelligence cell, the sources said.
A 2001 batch deputy superintendent of police, Sumathi, was first posted in Warangal (then in undivided Andhra Pradesh) and was conferred IPS in 2006. She also worked as DIG, CID (Women Protection Cell).