Top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma killed in encounter

New Delhi, Nov 18; Senior Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, one of the most-wanted insurgents, and his wife Hema were among six Maoists killed in an early-morning exchange of fire with security forces in the Maredumilli forests of Alluri Sitarama Raju district, Andhra Pradesh.

Regional media said that the encounter lasted an hour.

Weapons were recovered from the dead Maoist leaders.

Hidma, originally from Sukma district in Chhattisgarh, was linked to several major attacks on security forces over the past two decades and carried a Rs 1 crore bounty.

Hema carried a Rs 50 lakh reward, while another Maoist killed, Chelluri Narayana Rao alias Jambri, carried Rs 20 lakh reports national media.

Security forces have intensified combing operations along the borders of Telangana and Chhattisgarh. Union Home Ministry officials are closely monitoring developments on the ground.

Hidma, considered the chief of the CPI (Maoist)’s most lethal Battalion No 1, was accused of planning major attacks such as the 2010 Dantewada massacre, the 2013 Darbha valley ambush on Congress leaders, and multiple strikes in Sukma and Bijapur.

His death is seen as a major setback to the Maoist insurgency and a success to the Union government’s ongoing mission to eliminate Maoism by next year.

Several senior Maoist leaders have been neutralised across several states in recent months, including CPI (Maoist) chief Basavaraju in May.

Security agencies believe Hidma’s killing could create a leadership vacuum in south Bastar, though operations will continue to target remaining Maoist networks.