​​​​​​​Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), October 15: In a significant development, senior Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Bhupathi, along with 60 of his cadres, surrendered in Maharashtra today in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Gadchiroli district. Bhupathi, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 6 crore, had been one of the key figures in the Maoist movement.

The Naxals handed over a cache of 54 weapons during the surrender, including seven AK-47s and nine INSAS rifles, according to a police official.

Bhupathi, also known as Sonu, was regarded as one of the most influential strategists in the Maoist insurgency. He had been overseeing platoon operations in the critical areas along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border for many years.