On 18 November 2025, Madvi Hidma was neutralised in a joint security operation in the Maredumilli forest region of Alluri Sitarama Raju district, near the Chhattisgarh–Andhra Pradesh border. Andhra Pradesh Police reported that six Maoists were neutralised in the hour-long encounter, including the top commander suspected to be Hidma.
Who Was Madvi Hidma?
Madvi Hidma, born in 1981 in Puvarti village of Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, was one of the most powerful and feared commanders of the CPI (Maoist). A Class 10 dropout, he joined the Maoist movement as a teenager and rose rapidly through the ranks. Operating under several aliases, including Hidmalu, Hidmallu, Santosh, and Deva, he eventually became the commander of the PLGA’s Battalion No. 1 and the youngest member of the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee.
Police and intelligence agencies link Hidma to 25–26 major Maoist attacks between 2005 and 2024, which resulted in the deaths of around 260 security personnel and 76 civilians in Chhattisgarh. His operational notoriety made him the most sought-after Maoist insurgent in India.
Hidma also carried a combined bounty of ₹1.80 crore across six states: ₹50 lakh from Maharashtra, ₹40 lakh from Chhattisgarh, ₹25 lakh each from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha, and ₹15 lakh from Madhya Pradesh. He topped the National Investigation Agency’s list of most-wanted Maoist leaders.
In this report, we take a look at his deadly history in which he killed several of our armed forces members and politicians alike.
#1 76 CRPF Personnel Killed in Dantewada Ambush (6 April 2010)
On 6 April 2010, Maoist insurgents linked to Madvi Hidma carried out one of the deadliest attacks in India’s counter-insurgency history at Chintalnar in the Tadmetla forest region of Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh. A large contingent of armed Maoists ambushed a CRPF patrol moving through dense terrain, overwhelming the unit with coordinated firepower. The encounter resulted in the deaths of 76 security personnel, marking the single highest loss of life for Indian forces in any Maoist attack till then. The strike demonstrated Hidma’s capacity to mobilise mass cadres and execute high-casualty operations deep inside extremist strongholds.
#2 Congress Convoy Massacred in Jhiram Ghati (25 May 2013)
On 25 May 2013, a returning Congress convoy was ambushed at Jhiram Ghati in the Darbha Valley of Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, in an attack linked to Madvi Hidma. Between 150 and 250 Maoists blocked the road by felling trees and detonated a powerful IED—estimated at 27–30 kg—under the fourth vehicle using a 200-metre wire. Senior leaders including Mahendra Karma and Nand Kumar Patel were killed, while former Union Minister V.C. Shukla later succumbed to injuries. A total of 27–32 people died.
#3 Sukma Burkapal-Chintagufa Ambush Kills 25–26 CRPF Personnel (24 April 2017)
On 24 April 2017, Maoist fighters under Madvi Hidma executed a major ambush on the CRPF’s 74th Battalion between Burkapal and Chintagufa in Sukma district, Chhattisgarh. An estimated 200–300 guerrillas attacked with automatic weapons and improvised explosive devices, hitting a road-opening party engaged in providing cover for road construction. The encounter resulted in the deaths of 25–26 CRPF personnel, marking one of the deadliest blows to security forces that year. The attack revealed the extensive operational planning, reconnaissance, and geographical command exercised by Hidma’s Battalion No. 1 within the Maoist organisational structure.
#4 22–23 Security Personnel Killed in Bijapur Ambush (3 April 2021)
On 3 April 2021, security forces launched a major anti-Maoist operation in the Bijapur area of Chhattisgarh, targeting a suspected meeting led by Madvi Hidma. The forces, drawn from the CRPF, DRG, and STF, were ambushed by a well-prepared Maoist unit, triggering a prolonged gunfight across forest terrain. The attack left 22–23 personnel dead and around 30–33 others injured, marking one of the most devastating Maoist strikes in recent years. Reports indicated that the Maoists suffered over a dozen casualties, though official confirmation varied.
#5 Bheji–Injaram Ambush Kills 12 CRPF Personnel (11 March 2017)
On 11 March 2017, Maoist cadres carried out a high-intensity ambush along the Bheji–Injaram axis in Sukma district, an operation attributed to Madvi Hidma’s direction through Battalion No. 1. The insurgents attacked a CRPF patrol, killing 12 personnel before looting their weapons and fleeing into the forest. The ambush highlighted the Maoists’ capacity to conduct rapid, coordinated strikes and retain battlefield advantage through superior terrain familiarity. Intelligence briefings identified Hidma as the key strategist, reinforcing his reputation as a central architect of many of the most lethal operations conducted in southern Chhattisgarh.
#6 17 Personnel Killed in Minpa Ambush (2020)
In 2020, Madvi Hidma reportedly directed another major strike in the Minpa-Burkapal region of Chhattisgarh, resulting in the deaths of 17 security personnel. The ambush was widely covered by national media and identified as part of a coordinated Maoist effort to target patrol teams in the densely forested and insurgency-prone zones of south Bastar. The attack reinforced Hidma’s profile as one of the most tactically skilled and dangerous Maoist commanders, capable of orchestrating high-casualty engagements even in heavily monitored conflict zones.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
