Madvi Hidma, the most wanted leader in the Naxal ranks, was killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh this morning.
Hidma alias Santosh, a key figure in the CPI (Maoist) hierarchy, was killed in an encounter in the Maredumilli forest area of Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district early on Tuesday, November 18, security officials said.
The 51-year-old leader, long considered the organisation’s most dangerous strategist, was killed along with his wife Madakam Raje and four other Maoists, officials said.
Hidma and his group were trying to flee Chhattisgarh when they were caught between 6:00 am and 7:00 am. Intelligence inputs in recent weeks alerted agencies to Maoist movements along the borders of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, which security officials said led to a coordinated operation by anti-Naxal Greyhounds and local police.
Who was Madvi Hidma?
Hidma was a prominent Indian Maoist (Naxalite) leader associated with the CPI (Maoist) and its armed wing, the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA).
Born in Purvati village in south Sukma, Chhattisgarh, Hidma completed his education up to class 10 before joining the Maoist ranks. He rose slowly in the organization, perhaps due to his command of guerrilla warfare and military planning. Also known as Santosh, he eventually became the face of Maoist operations in Bastar.
Hidma eventually led the No. 1 Battalion of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army and was an active member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee. He was active across Sukma, Dantewada and Bijapur. Hidma’s rise continued when he became the youngest member of the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee.
According to reports, Hidma has been linked to at least 26 deadly attacks on security forces, including major operations in Dantewada, Darbha Valley and Sukma. These include the 2010 Tadmetla attack in which 75 CRPF men and a police constable were killed near Tadmetla village in South Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district.
1 Cr Bounty, on NIA Most Wanted List
Hidma carried a reward of over one million rupees and was on the National Investigation Agency’s most wanted list. Although he was briefly arrested as a minor participant in 2016, he returned to the limelight soon after.
Hidma’s killing came as security operations against the Maoists intensified following Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s plans to end the insurgency by March next year.
