Maoist Hidma Killed in Maredumili Encounter
Hidma is suspected to be the key mastermind behind the 2010 Dantewada massacre, in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed; the 2013 Jhiram Ghati attack that claimed the lives of 27 people including senior Congress leaders; and the 2021 Sukma-Bijapur ambush, where 22 security personnel were martyred.
Bhopal: The killing of top Maoist Madvi Hidma, known among locals as the ‘Ghost of Bastar Jungle’, in an encounter with the AP police on Tuesday may be the last nail in the coffin of the left-wing extremism in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, where masterminded almost all major attacks against security forces and civilians over 25 years, a senior police officer said in Bastar.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said the killing of Hidma marked a “decisive achievement” in the fight against left-wing extremism” not only for Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, but for the entire nation.
“The end of Hidma’s chapter is a decisive breakthrough for the security forces in their effort to completely annihilate the Maoist outfit….”, Bastar range inspector general of police P. Sunderraj told this newspaper.
Hidma carried a reward of Rs 40 lakh in Chhattisgarh and a cumulative bounty of over Rs 1 crore across multiple states. His death is believed to have left the Maoists leaderless in the south Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, previously a hotbed of extremist activity.
Along with Hidma, second in the Maoist hierarchy and head of the Bastar’s Battalion No. 1, his wife Madakam Raje, a Maoist zonal committee member, and four others were killed in the exchange of fire in Maredumilli mandal. A large cache of arms was recovered from the encounter site. Police also found a diary, details of which led to the arrest of Maoist activists elsewhere in the state, the AP police said.
Sources in Chhattisgarh said that Hidma along with a group of Maoists fled to Andhra Pradesh following the April-May operation by security forces to flush them out from the Karregutta Hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.
His movement along with a group of 31 Maoists in Maredumilli forest was spotted and later monitored by the Andhra Pradesh police a couple of days ago, leading to the encounter early on Tuesday morning.
An AP police release said, “We had specific intelligence inputs on the movement of senior Maoist cadres along the inter-state border. A police operation was launched in the forest areas of Maredumilli mandal. Between 6.30 am and 7 am, an exchange of fire took place, which resulted in the death of Hidma and five others.”
After the encounter, the AP police recovered the bodies of Hidma alias Hidmanna Santosh, central committee member, south Bastar battalion; Madakam Raje alias Rajakka, state zonal committee member; and Maoists Deve, Lakmal alias Chaitu, Malla alias Mallalu and Kamlu alias Kamlesh.
A substantial quantity of arms, ammunition and explosive materials has been recovered from the encounter site, police said. These included two AK-47 rifles, one pistol, one revolver, one single bore gun, ammunition including 28 rounds of AK 47, five pistol rounds, several empty shells of AK 47 and a pistol.
In addition, electrical detonators, non-electrical detonators and fuse were found at the encounter site, the police said.
Police were collecting information about Maoist activities and their movements in the past few weeks. There were hints of heightened Maoist activity in the tri-junction area of AP, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The AP Police acted decisively on this intelligence, the release said.