New Delhi: Security forces have achieved a major breakthrough in the fight against left-wing extremism with the killing of Madvi Hidma, the most feared Maoist commander and mastermind behind several deadly attacks on Indian forces, police sources said.
Hidma, who carried a bounty of ₹50 lakh, was neutralised during a fierce encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, bringing about the end of an important CPI (Maoist) insurgent, police informed.
Believed to be in his early 40s, Hidma led the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1 and was regarded as the operational mastermind behind ambushes that claimed dozens of lives, such as the 2010 Dantewada massacre and the 2021 Bijapur attack. His deep knowledge of dense forests and his ability to mobilise cadres made him a formidable adversary for security forces.
Sources reveal that the operation was based on precise intelligence inputs and involved elite units of the District Reserve Guard and CRPF. The encounter lasted several hours, resulting in the recovery of sophisticated weapons and Maoist literature from the site. Officials believe Hidma’s death will severely cripple Maoist operations in Bastar, where he held sway for over two decades.
For years, Hidma remained elusive, often escaping security cordons and using guerrilla tactics to strike at will. Experts see Hidma’s killing as a turning point in India’s anti-Naxal strategy, but they caution that the movement may attempt to regroup under new leadership.