Top Maoist Commander Madvi Hidma, with ₹1 Crore Bounty, Neutralized in Intense Encounter
Published on: November 18, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Raipur, India
In a landmark victory for India’s counter-insurgency efforts, security forces have eliminated Madvi Hidma, one of the most notorious Maoist commanders and the architect of over 26 deadly attacks that claimed hundreds of lives. The 38-year-old Hidma, a native of South Bastar’s Puvarti village in Chhattisgarh, was gunned down alongside his wife and four other rebels during a fierce gunfight in the dense forests of Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitaramaraju district, near the Chhattisgarh border.
The operation, which unfolded early Tuesday, marks the “last nail in the coffin” for the Maoist insurgency in the region, according to Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who holds the home portfolio.
Hidma, who commanded the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, had evaded capture for over 15 years despite a staggering ₹1 crore bounty on his head, split between central and state rewards, and featured prominently on the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) most-wanted list.
Security sources revealed that the encounter stemmed from credible intelligence about Hidma’s movement, leading to a joint operation involving the Chhattisgarh Police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), Andhra Pradesh Greyhounds, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). At least six bodies, including Hidma’s, were recovered from the site, with weapons like INSAS rifles and grenades seized. “Hidma was a ruthless tactician who orchestrated ambushes with military precision,” said a senior CRPF officer, highlighting his role in high-profile atrocities such as the 2010 Dantewada attack that killed 76 CRPF personnel, the 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre claiming 29 lives, and the 2021 Sukma-Bijapur assault that felled 22 soldiers.
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The timing of Hidma’s demise adds poignant irony. Just a week ago, on November 11, Deputy CM Sharma personally visited Puvarti village in Sukma district to meet Hidma’s mother, Madvi Punji, and another top Maoist’s family.
Over a shared meal with villagers, Sharma urged Punji to convince her son to lay down arms and reintegrate into society, emphasizing the state’s rehabilitation schemes that offer financial aid, housing, and job training to over 1,000 surrendered Naxals this year alone.
In a heartfelt video appeal recorded post-meeting, Punji tearfully pleaded, “Where are you, son? Please come home,” underscoring the human cost of the decades-long conflict.
Tragically, Hidma rejected the overture, reportedly due to internal Maoist factionalism and a betrayal by a close aide that tipped off the forces.
This success builds on the momentum of Operation Black Forest, a sweeping 21-day offensive from April to May 2025 that neutralized 29 high-value Maoists and disrupted their supply lines across Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Odisha.
Under the “double-engine” BJP-led governments at the center and state, Chhattisgarh has intensified its anti-Naxal drive, constructing over 12,000 km of roads in affected areas since 2014 to enhance access and development.
Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the March 2026 deadline for a Naxal-free India, noting a 27% dip in Maoist-related violence in 2025 compared to prior years, though civilian casualties remain a concern.
Sharma hailed the forces’ “dogged pursuit” during a press briefing in Raipur, announcing enhanced rewards for DRG personnel and plans for more surrender camps. “Slow and steady wins the race—we’ve uprooted key cadres, but our focus remains on winning hearts through rehabilitation,” he said, echoing Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai’s vision.
Experts view —
Hidma’s elimination as a crippling blow to the CPI(Maoist)’s central committee, potentially fracturing their command structure in Bastar. With over 400 Maoists neutralized or surrendered in Chhattisgarh this year, the Red Corridor appears to be shrinking, but challenges persist amid allegations of encounter excesses and rising civilian deaths.
As the nation edges closer to its anti-Naxal goal, Tuesday’s encounter reaffirms a strategy blending force with outreach—one that, for Hidma’s grieving family, comes too late.
