Andhra Pradesh: Madvi Hidma, one of India’s most feared Naxal commanders and a key figure in the CPI (Maoist) hierarchy, was killed early Tuesday morning (November 18) in a major encounter in the Maredumilli forest region of Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district. The 51-year-old leader, long regarded as the most dangerous strategist within the organisation, died alongside his wife Madakam Raje and four other Maoists.
Security officials said Hidma and his group were attempting to flee from Chhattisgarh when they were intercepted between 6:00 am and 7:00 am. Intelligence inputs over recent weeks had alerted agencies on Maoist movement along the Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha border, leading to a coordinated operation by the anti-Naxal Greyhounds and local police. A senior officer, quoted by The Indian Express, had earlier described Hidma as “the party’s most deadly commander”.
Who was Madvi Hidma?
Hidma was born in Purvati village in south Sukma, Chhattisgarh. After completing his education up to Class 10, he joined the Maoist ranks and steadily rose through the organisation due to his command of guerrilla warfare and military planning. Known as Hidmalu or Santosh, he became the face of Maoist operations in Bastar.
He eventually headed the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army Battalion No 1 and was an active member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, operating across Sukma, Dantewada and Bijapur. His ascent continued as he became the youngest member of the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee.
Hidma was linked to at least 26 deadly attacks on security forces, including major operations in Dantewada, Darbha valley and Sukma. He carried a bounty of over one crore rupees and was on the National Investigation Agency’s most wanted list. Despite being arrested briefly in 2016 as a low-level participant, he returned to prominence soon after.
Security forces attempted to capture him on several occasions. In 2021, an operation involving nearly 2,000 personnel aimed to arrest him but instead walked into a Maoist ambush that left 23 security personnel dead.
His killing comes at a time when security operations have intensified following Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s commitment to end the insurgency by next March. Officials say the encounter marks a significant setback for Maoist networks in the Bastar and Dandakaranya regions.
