Madvi Hidma, long regarded as one of India’s most-wanted and most-feared Maoist commanders, was killed on 18 November 2025 in an encounter with security forces in the forests near the tri-junction of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. The operation — described by officials as an intelligence-led encounter — also left several other Maoists dead and resulted in seizures of weapons and communications material.
Who was Hidma?
Madvi Hidma (also reported as Madvi Hidmalu or simply Hidma) rose from a village in Sukma district (now in Chhattisgarh) to become a senior operational leader in the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1 — the unit blamed for some of the deadliest Left-wing extremist (LWE) attacks in central India. Security agencies and media reports have linked him to a string of ambushes and massacres that targeted security forces and civilian convoys over the past decade; analysts say he was responsible for at least two dozen attacks. Hidma was long on the National Investigation Agency/State most-wanted lists and carried a sizeable bounty.
Recent operations and the context to his killing
Hidma had been the focus of sustained security pressure through a series of anti-Naxal operations in 2024–25. Notably, operations such as the large-scale Karregutta encirclement and Operation Black Forest earlier in 2025 were explicitly aimed at degrading his strike units and the PLGA’s hold in the Bastar/Abujhmad belt. Officials and government statements had framed these operations as part of a stepped-up campaign to dismantle the Maoist infrastructure in the Dandakaranya region. The November 18 encounter is being presented by security agencies as a culmination of this multi-month effort.
Verified facts from the encounter
- Date & place: The encounter occurred on 18 November 2025 in Alluri Sitarama Raju district, Andhra Pradesh.
- Casualties: Reports from security sources and subsequent media coverage say Hidma, his wife (named in some reports as Raje or Rajakka) and four other Maoists were killed during the operation; police recovered arms and electronic devices from the site.
- Record & charges: Hidma was linked by agencies to numerous deadly ambushes against security forces in Chhattisgarh and neighbouring areas over many years. He had been singled out by Indian authorities as a top operational commander in the PLGA.
Reactions and contested claims
The killing has drawn strong reactions on multiple fronts. Government and security officials hailed the operation as a significant blow to the Maoist insurgency and pointed to arrests and seizures in the aftermath. Several news outlets and the Union/State security establishment portrayed it as a major operational success that will weaken the PLGA in Bastar and adjoining tracts.
At the same time, tribal activists, some local leaders and Maoist sympathisers have alleged the encounter was “staged” or a “fake encounter.” These claims have been repeated in parts of the regional and social media ecosystem and echoed by a few political figures. Security officials, including senior intelligence officers who addressed the press, have denied those allegations and described the operation as legitimate. Independent or judicial verification of the encounter circumstances — which is often sought in high-profile LWE cases — has not been reported publicly at the time of writing. Readers should treat contested allegations with caution until independent inquiries, if any, publish findings.
Why Hidma’s death matters
- Operational impact on LWE units: Hidma was widely considered the operational brain behind several lethal ambushes in south Bastar. Losing a commander of his experience and local knowledge is likely to disrupt guerrilla operations and command-and-control in the short to medium term, though analysts caution that decentralised insurgent structures can adapt.
- Security & political signalling: The encounter will be presented by central and state governments as a vindication of intensified anti-Naxal campaigns and the expanded use of coordinated intelligence, local police, and specialised central units. It may also influence political debates in states affected by LWE violence and affect deployments and resource allocations. sometimes been followed by retaliatory attacks or attempts by insurgent cadres to regroup. Authorities have reportedly stepped up vigilance and combing operations in adjoining districts to prevent backlash.
- Law, human rights and accountability concerns: Allegations of staged encounters are serious and politically sensitive. They raise questions about the rules of engagement, the need for transparent investigations and judicial oversight — matters that civil-society groups and some political actors will likely press for in the weeks ahead.
What to watch next
- Official forensic / post-mortem and investigative reports or an independent fact-finding response to the “fake encounter” allegations.
- The security push in neighbouring districts — arrests, surrender offers and surrender-rehabilitation claims — which will indicate how deeply the operation affected Maoist networks
- Local political and tribal leaders’ responses, and any legal petitions or inquiries triggered by the contested claims around the encounter.
Bottom line
Madvi Hidma’s death marks a high-profile moment in India’s long fight against Left-wing extremism. From the state and security perspective it is being described as a crippling blow to the PLGA’s operational leadership in south Bastar. From civil-society and regional political perspectives, the episode is already contested and may provoke demands for independent scrutiny. The full ramifications — operational, political and legal — will take time to become clear and will depend on follow-up investigations, security trends on the ground, and how authorities handle transparency and accountability questions.
Sources (selected)
- Hindustan Times — “Top Maoist Hidma killed in crippling blow to LWE.”
- Economic Times — “Hidma’s end marks a decisive moment in fight against Maoist insurgency.”
- The Print — “Blood-stained stamp of Madvi Hidma: Lethal Maoist commander …” (analysis of Hidma’s record).
- Times of India / UNI / New Indian Express — coverage of the encounter, local reactions and claims of a staged killing; official denials were reported by police and intelligence officers.
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