Top Maoist Commander Madvi Hidma, Behind 26 Armed Attacks, Eliminated In Encounter

Andhra Pradesh: Madvi Hidma, one of India’s most wanted Maoist commanders and a Central Committee leader of the CPI (Maoist), was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in the forests of Maredumilli early Tuesday morning. His wife, Rajee, was also killed in the encounter, along with several close associates, making a total of six Maoists gunned down.

According to police, a fierce gunfight erupted between 6 am and 7 am when elite anti-Naxal units, including the Greyhounds and local district police, launched a combing operation in the dense forest region. Hidma and his group were reportedly attempting to escape towards the Andhra–Chhattisgarh border when they were intercepted. 

Officials said the Maoist leader was surrounded by security forces inside the Maredumilli forest before the exchange of fire broke out.

Confirming the developments, IG Bastar P. Sundarraj said that the bodies of six Maoists, including Hidma and his wife, were recovered from the encounter site. He described Hidma as a Central Committee member and former commander of the PLGA’s 1st Battalion, adding that a large quantity of AK-47 rifles and ammunition was seized from the spot.

Intelligence officials further revealed that Maoist movements had been monitored for nearly one and a half months as several cadres attempted to cross from Chhattisgarh into Andhra Pradesh, taking shelter either in forested areas or nearby towns.

According to Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha, the ASR district police launched the morning operation based on specific intelligence. He said six Maoists—including Hidma, his wife Rajee, and four others—were killed, though a few managed to escape from the encounter zone. 

ADGP Laddha also confirmed that a parallel crackdown was carried out in Kakinada and Krishna districts, where 31 Maoists were arrested. Of those, nine were members of Central Committee leader Devji’s security team, while the remaining belonged to Hidma’s 1st Battalion.

Hidma, considered the most ruthless of the Maoist commanders, was accused of orchestrating at least 26 major attacks, including several deadly ambushes on security personnel in Chhattisgarh. He carried a bounty running into several lakhs and was regarded as the operational head of the Maoists’ strongest guerilla battalion.

Security agencies believe Hidma and his wife had been fleeing from Chhattisgarh due to increased pressure from ongoing anti-Maoist operations. The latest encounter, they say, is a significant blow to the Maoists’ top leadership structure in the region. 

Combing operations have been intensified along the Andhra–Odisha and Andhra–Chhattisgarh borders to ensure no surviving Maoist cadres flee the area, and authorities expect Hidma’s death—along with the arrest of 31 cadres—to cause serious disruptions within the Maoist organisation’s command and strike capabilities.

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