A group of 12 students from Osmania University in Hyderabad were stopped at the tri-state border of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha in Chintoor on Friday (December 5, 2025). They were heading to the Maredumilli Forest to find out the facts of the encounter on 18 November 2025 where Madvi Hidma, a top commander of the banned CPI (Maoist), was among the six Maoists killed by the security forces.
Members of the investigative team represented various organizations including the Progressive Democratic Students Organization (PDSU). Many of them are law students at Osmania University.
The Chintoor police, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Boddu Hemanth, stopped them at the Andhra Pradesh border, preventing them from visiting the encounter site.
Speaking to a section of the media outside the Chintoor Police Station, the fact-finding members said, “We are on our way to visit the Maredumilli Agency to see the encounter site, interact with local residents and police officials who were involved in the operation following allegations that Mr. Hidma was captured alive and killed in the Maredumilli forests”.
Six Maoists, including Madvi Hidma, Central Committee Member and South Bastar Battalion Commander of CPI (Maoist), were killed in an alleged encounter in Papikonda National Park on November 18 morning in Maredumilli Agency of Alluri Sitarama Raju District. The other five eliminated Maoists were the wife of Mr. Hidma Raj and his gunmen – Deve, Lakmal and Kamlu.
Operation in progress
Speaking to The Hindu on phone, Assistant Superintendent of Police Chintoor Boddu Hemanth said, “A fact-finding team from Osmania University was briefed about the situation on the ground at Maredumilli Agency following the ongoing operation Sambhav. We cannot allow them to visit Maredumilli Agency due to the ongoing anti-Naxal operations.” The investigation team returned to Hyderabad on Friday evening, Mr. Hemanth said.
In an official statement, Andhra Pradesh State Human Rights Forum president KV Jagannadha Rao condemned the detention of the 12-member investigation team at the tri-state border in Chintoor.
Published – 05 Dec 2025 20:01 IST
