End of an Era: Top Maoist Leader Madvi Hidma Killed in Encounter
The death of Madvi Hidma, the most wanted Naxalite commander in India, has dealt a fatal blow to the Maoist movement in the country, according to Telangana Director General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy. The 51-year-old leader, responsible for orchestrating numerous deadly attacks over two decades, was killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
Maoist Movement Considered Over: Telangana DGP's Perspective
In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express, DGP Reddy stated that Hidma's death effectively marks the end of the Maoist insurgency in India. "The Maoist movement can be considered over now because he was the last recognised leader. Hidma may not be known in other parts of the country, but he had Chhattisgarh, especially Bastar, under his control," Reddy explained.
The senior police officer, who previously headed the Special Intelligence Branch in undivided Andhra Pradesh, emphasized that there are no other leaders worthy of mention remaining in the Maoist ranks, and cadres are increasingly abandoning the movement. "We can say that Hidma's death finally ends the Maoists in India," Reddy declared confidently.
Massive Crackdown on Maoist Network
Following Hidma's elimination, Andhra Pradesh police launched one of the most comprehensive anti-Maoist operations in recent years. On Wednesday morning, SIB chief and IGP P H Ramkrishna revealed that various agencies under the Organisation for Counter Terrorist Operations (Octopus) conducted coordinated raids across multiple districts.
The intelligence-driven operation resulted in the arrest of 50 CPI (Maoist) operatives across Krishna, Eluru, NTR Vijayawada, Kakinada and Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema districts. This massive crackdown significantly damaged the organization's South Bastar and Dandakaranya networks.
Additional DGP (Intelligence) Mahesh Kumar Laddha explained that the arrested Maoists had fled from Chhattisgarh and were attempting to regroup in urban areas of Andhra Pradesh when police disrupted their plans through coordinated action.
Key Arrests That Crippled Maoist Command Structure
The operation led to the apprehension of several high-value Divisional Committee Members (DVCMs), the crucial operational tier in the CPI (Maoist) hierarchy. Those arrested include:
- Sodi Lakma alias Bhima, DVCM of Jagargonda Area Committee
- Gangi Lakshmi alias Maade, DVCM attached to Kerlapal AC
- Sode Manila, DVCM in-charge of Pamed AC
- Madakam Madan alias Madhanna, senior DVCM overseeing Jagargonda AC
- Madavi Handha, DVCM from Communication & CyPC Team
Officials described this group as representing the core of Maoist divisional command apparatus. Their simultaneous arrest has crippled multiple Area Committees and disrupted inter-district linkages, delivering one of the most devastating organizational setbacks to CPI (Maoist) in the Dandakaranya region.
Historical Context and Lasting Impact
DGP Reddy's assessment carries significant weight given his track record in combating left-wing extremism. As Deputy Inspector General of SIB in 2011, he helped achieve the lowest number of deaths related to left-wing violence in three decades - just seven civilian deaths and no police casualties that year.
Since 2011, the Maoist movement has gradually faded in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. "Maoists are already finished in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. They are done in Odisha and other states, and now that Hidma is dead, Chhattisgarh is also rid of it. The ideology has completely failed," Reddy stated.
The DGP concluded that remaining lower-rung leaders and cadres attempting to sneak into Andhra Pradesh or Telangana would be easily identified and caught, signaling the definitive end of the Maoist movement as it has been known for decades.
