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Visakhapatnam, Nov 18 (IANS) In a major blow to the Maoist movement in the country, top commander Madavi Hidma was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Andhra-Odisha border area in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitharamaraju district on Tuesday.
Hidma’s wife Raje and four other Maoists along with his gunman were also killed in the encounter in Maredumili forest area.
Andhra Pradesh Additional Director General (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha told media persons that the exchange of fire between security forces and Maoists took place between 6.30-7.00 am.
“Bodies of six Maoists were recovered. They were identified as Madvi Hidma, a Central Committee member and Commandant of the 1st Battalion and one of the most wanted and dreaded Maoists, his wife Raje and his four gunmen,” he said.
The intelligence chief said the police are keeping a close watch following information that Maoists, especially people from the battalion including leaders, are planning to shift to Andhra Pradesh due to continuous pressure in Chhattisgarh.
He said, “In the last one or two days, we had received a very specific intelligence that some top Maoist leaders are entering Andhra Pradesh, and they are planning to revive the movement. In the same sequence, there was an exchange of fire between Maoists and security forces this morning.”
The state intelligence chief said some Maoists fled from the encounter site. “The search operation is still going on. Hopefully we will be able to arrest them soon,” Laddha said.
The police officer said that the bodies are being shifted and post-mortem will be conducted as per proper procedure and necessary action will be taken.
Security forces recovered two AK-47s, one pistol, one revolver, one single-bore weapon and kitbags, among other items.
Hidma alias Santosh was considered India’s most wanted Maoist commander. Believed to be around 51 years of age, he was the head of battalion number one of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion, said to be the deadliest Maoist strike unit.
Born in Purvati village of Sukma district, worked as a member of Bastar Dalam and member of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee and became the mastermind behind major attacks on security during the last two decades. He personally led more than 30 attacks in Dantewada and Sukma
Various states had announced a reward of Rs 6 crore on Hidma, considered an expert in guerrilla attacks.
Hidma, who went into hiding 25 years ago, became a member of the Central Committee at a young age
He was the only tribal from Bastar region of Chhattisgarh in the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee.
Hidma was said to be the mastermind of the massacre of 76 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) members in Dantewada in 2010. It was the deadliest attack by Maoists on security forces in India.
He was also suspected to be involved in the killing of 27 people, including top Congress leaders, in Chhattisgarh’s Jheeram Valley in 2013.
Hidma is also considered the mastermind of the killing of 22 central paramilitary forces personnel in Sukma, Chhattisgarh in 2021.
The killing of the top Maoist commander comes just after a series of successes by security forces in Chhattisgarh.
Tuesday’s encounter was also a major blow to the banned CPI (Maoist) terror group in the Andhra-Odisha border area, once considered the epicenter of Maoist activities.
–IANS
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