Hidma Naxalite Encounter Latest News: The Andhra Pradesh police gunned down top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma during an encounter on Tuesday — driving the “last nail in the coffin” of insurgency. The shadowy terror leader was linked to dozens of deadly attacks against Indian personnel over the past few years and maintained a low profile.
Sources said the gun battle took place near the tri-junction of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana — a region long used by Maoists as a tactical safe zone.
Who is Madvi Hidma?
The 43-year-old top Maoist commander was responsible for at least 26 deadly attacks against security forces and civilians — including the 2017 Sukma attack in which 26 CRPF personnel were killed. He had also been involved in the 2010 Dantewada attack that led to the death of 76 CRPF personnel.
He was born to a tribal family in the Purvati village of Sukma district (then part of undivided Madhya Pradesh) and grew up in an area heavily influenced by Naxalism. Hidma had initially served as a local militia member and later joined the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army. He quickly rose through the ranks due to his aggression, endurance and familiarity with forest terrain — eventually became commander of PLGA Battalion No 1 (the most lethal and mobile unit in the Naxal organisational structure). He also became the youngest member of the Naxals’ Central Committee and the only tribal representative from the Bastar region on the outfit’s top decision-making body.
‘Last nail in the coffin’ of insurgency
Chhattisgarh Police described Hidma’s death as the “last nail in the coffin” of the insurgency. He had masterminded several attacks over the last two decades.
“This is a decisive advantage for the security forces, not just for the Dandakaranya region or Bastar but for the entire India. The security forces have led campaigns against the Maoists during which the dead bodies of their general secretaries and politburo members have been recovered in 2025. This has forced the Maoist cadres to leave Bastar and take shelter in other regions. But wherever they go, they have no choice left now. Even if they go underground, or in the sky, they have no choice left but to surrender and be part of the mainstream, or else they will have to suffer the consequences,” Bastar IG P Sundarraj told ANI.
