In a significant blow to left-wing extremism in India, security forces have eliminated the country's most-wanted Naxal commander Madvi Hidma during an early morning encounter in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.
The Final Confrontation
Madvi Hidma, also known by his alias Santosh, was killed along with his wife Madakam Raje and four other Maoists during a coordinated security operation in the dense Maredumilli forest region of Alluri Sitarama Raju district. The encounter occurred between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM on November 18, 2025, marking the end of a long hunt for one of India's most elusive insurgent leaders.
Security officials revealed that intelligence inputs over recent weeks had indicated Maoist movement along the sensitive tri-junction border of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. This information prompted a joint operation by the elite anti-Naxal Greyhounds force and local police units, who intercepted Hidma's group as they attempted to flee from Chhattisgarh.
Who Was Madvi Hidma?
The 51-year-old revolutionary was born in Purvati village in south Sukma, Chhattisgarh, and had completed his education up to class 10 before joining the Maoist movement. Through his expertise in guerrilla warfare and military strategy, Hidma steadily climbed the ranks of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) to become one of its most dangerous operatives.
Hidma's prominence within the organization saw him eventually command the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army Battalion No 1 and serve as an active member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee. His operational area spanned the volatile districts of Sukma, Dantewada and Bijapur in Chhattisgarh. His rapid ascent culminated in him becoming the youngest member of the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee.
Legacy of Violence
Security agencies had linked Hidma to at least 26 major attacks on security forces, including some of the deadliest ambushes in recent memory. Among his most notorious operations was the 2010 Tadmetla attack in Sukma district, where seventy-five CRPF personnel and one police constable lost their lives near Tadmetla village in South Chhattisgarh.
Other significant attacks attributed to his command include operations in Dantewada and the Darbha valley, which had established his reputation as the Maoists' most effective military strategist. His notoriety had earned him a bounty of over one crore rupees and a place on the National Investigation Agency's most-wanted list.
Despite a brief arrest in 2016 as a low-level participant, Hidma had quickly returned to prominence within the Maoist hierarchy, continuing to orchestrate operations against security forces until his final encounter.
Broader Implications
Hidma's elimination comes at a crucial time when security operations against Maoist insurgents have intensified across central India. The development follows Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent commitment to end the Naxal insurgency by March of next year, signaling the government's determined approach to tackling left-wing extremism.
The successful operation represents a major victory for Indian security forces in their prolonged campaign against Maoist violence, potentially dealing a crippling blow to the operational capabilities of the insurgent group in the strategically important Bastar region.
