India, Feb. 23 -- Two top Maoist leaders, including a key strategist, surrendered before the Telangana police on Sunday, in a major blow to the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), officials familiar with the development said.

They said party general secretary Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji, 60 and central committee-cum-politburo member Malla Raji Reddy alias Sangram, 76, along with 16 other members of the party surrendered before the special intelligence bureau (SIB) of the Telangana police in Komaram-Bheem Asifabad district in the early hours of Sunday.

"An official announcement will be made in a day or two only after the formalisation of the surrender process and the Maoist leaders are likely to be produced before the media in ...