Madvi Hidma killed: How top Maoist commander, who evaded security forces for years, was killed in 4 hours

Top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma has been killed. He, along with five other insurgents, was gunned down by security forces in the Maredumilli forest in the Alluri Sitaramaraju district of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday (November 18) morning.

Hidma was one of India’s most wanted Maoist commanders. His killing is seen as a big blow to the Maoists amid intensified operations by security forces.

Let’s take a closer look.

Who was Madvi Hidma?

Madvi Hidma, who was in his 40s, was born in Puvarti, a remote village in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district. He studied till Class 10 before being drawn by the Maoist movement, as per an NDTV report.

Hidma’s first mentor is believed to be Ramesh Pudiyami alias Badaranna, with whom he worked for two years. Hidma, who belonged to the Muriya Scheduled Tribe, was later given the charge of a platoon.

As per Indian Express, he was slender, with a thin moustache, and carried an AK-47.

Hidma, who remained a shadowy figure, was the commander of the Maoists Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion 1. He was reportedly the youngest Central Committee Member (CCM) of the CPI (Maoist), its top decision-making body.

Hidma was the only tribal member from the Bastar region on the Central Committee, reported NDTV.

His aliases are uncertain, but some other names used for him were Deva, Hidmalu, Santosh and Vilas.

Hidma was reportedly elevated to the position of secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKZC), which leads the Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh.

Officials say he commanded a battalion of 130–150 armed cadres, who operated via a network of forest hideouts and villages under the influence of the insurgents, reported Hindustan Times (HT).

His discipline helped him rise through the ranks. Sundari, a former Maoist, told NDTV that Hidma used to get up at 4 am daily and read news to remain updated on the latest developments.

He also focused on physical training for his battalion, with some even calling him “ruthless” in this regard. Hidma gained the respect of his battalion as he led from the front.

His battalion operated in the districts of South Bastar, Bijapur, Sukma and Dantewada, the centre of clashes between Maoists and security forces. As per Times of India (TOI), he organised guerrilla movements in the Bastar division and coordinated operations across southern Chhattisgarh.

Hidma was married to Raje alias Rajakka, a Divisional Committee Member (DVCM). She worked as a teacher within the same battalion. Raje was also allegedly involved in almost every major Maoist strike, PTI reported.

Hidma behind many deadly Maoist attacks

Hidma’s name has cropped up in at least 26 Maoist attacks. Police records linked him to the 2010 Dantewada massacre in which 76 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed.

Hidma was also involved in the Jhiram Ghati attack in 2013, which wiped out the Congress leadership in Chhattisgarh. He was behind the 2017 Maoist attack in Sukma, which claimed the lives of 27 CRPF personnel.

In 2021, about 400 insurgents ambushed security forces, killing 22 personnel, in the jungles of Bijapur in Chhattisgarh. Hidma was reportedly the mastermind of the attack.

How Hidma eluded security forces for years

Hidma was on the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) most-wanted list. He carried a bounty exceeding Rs 1 crore, with state and central agencies on the hunt for him.

But he continued to evade the security forces for years. Hidma had three rings of security in concentric circles, security personnel tracking him told Indian Express.

He mostly avoided the roads deep inside the jungles, moving with units of his battalion.

Hidma’s thorough knowledge of the terrain and the demography after growing up and spending years in the jungles gave him an advantage over the forces.

As per NDTV, former Maoist Sundari, who was part of Hidma’s security detail, said the rebel leader’s security was more intricate than that of state police chiefs.

Commandos who protected him were armed with sophisticated weapons. The Maoists on the outer ring of his security often spotted the forces, engaging them with fire and giving Hidma time to control the operation closely and eventually escape, as per Indian Express.

Hidma avoided visiting villages and his informers there helped him keep track of the movement of security forces.

Due to a lack of phone networks in parts of the jungles of Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada, security forces had to rely on human intelligence, which was always somewhat old. He mostly operated in the Dandakaranya region, which has a steep terrain and maze-like forests.

Thick vegetation and limited road connectivity in the region also hampered the security forces’ operations against the Maoist leader.

Police claim they once came close to Hidma in 2017. After two successive attacks in Bhejji and Burkapal left 38 jawans dead, forces launched Operation Prahaar against Maoists in Tondamarka, considered a “capital” of the insurgents in Sukma.

The police said around seven and 18 rebels were killed, claiming that Hidma could have been severely injured. It remains unknown whether the Maoist commander was injured or not.

What Hidma’s death means

Hidma was killed by security forces in an encounter at a forest area near the tri-junction of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana this morning, along with his wife Raje and four others.

As per ANI sources, Chelluri Narayana and Tech Shankar were among the Maoists gunned down in the Maredumilli forest area of East Godavari district.

Intelligence agencies had received key information on Hidma’s movements from local informants, sources told News18. After keeping an eye on him for about 34 hours, a small team was mobilised to carry out the operation, they said.

The operation began around 2 am and lasted nearly four hours, resulting in the death of the six Maoists.

The operation was carried out by Greyhounds, Andhra’s specialised force for anti-Maoist operations, with the help of central security forces.

Intensified anti- Naxal operations in the last two years had impaired Hidma’s security cover, forcing him to hide deeper into the forests along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana and Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh borders, officials said, as per PTI.

The Chhattisgarh Police has described Hidma’s death as the “last nail in the coffin” of the insurgency.

“Hidma had acquired a heroic image among his cadres, and his elimination is a major step towards eliminating Maoism from the Bastar region,” a Chhattisgarh Police officer said.

With the latest encounter, nine Central Committee members have been killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh, including Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju .

Speaking to NDTV, Harish Kumar Gupta, Andhra Pradesh’s Director General of Police, said this was a “monumental” victory for India’s anti-Maoist operations. “Hidma’s elimination marks a crucial turning point in anti-Maoist efforts. It has removed the head of CPI (Maoist)’s most potent military wing,” he said.

According to the top cop, Hidma motivated young tribals to join the rebel ranks. As per Indian Express, his killing will be a big blow to the Maoist morale in Bastar. He was an inspiration for the Maoists of the adivasi cadre. His elimination will weaken the rebel organisation in the region.

With inputs from agencies