Madvi Hidma: India’s Deadliest Maoist Terrorist and His Final Encounter
Madvi Hidma (1981–2025) was one of the most violent and dangerous terrorists linked to the Maoist insurgency in India. For almost two decades, he operated as a key leader of the banned CPI (Maoist) and headed the ruthless PLGA Battalion No. 1, the group’s most aggressive armed unit. His name became synonymous with ambushes, explosives, kidnappings, and targeted killings across the forests of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. To India, Hidma represented the very core of Maoist terror — a militant who built his career on destruction, intimidation, and bloodshed.
This article explains clearly who he was, the terror attacks he masterminded, and how he was finally killed in 2025.
Who Was Madvi Hidma?
Madvi Hidma was born in Purvati village of Sukma district, located in the thickly forested Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. From a young age, he came into contact with Maoist groups that operated in the area. Instead of following any constructive path, he chose to join the underground extremist movement and became part of the Maoists’ armed wing.
He started as a foot soldier, but his violent approach and ability to operate in deep forest terrain quickly pushed him up the ranks. The Maoist leadership recognised him as someone willing to kill without hesitation — a critical requirement for their terror operations. Over time, he was appointed commander of PLGA Battalion No. 1, the most lethal strike unit of the Maoists.
Under his command, this unit became known for:
- large-scale ambushes
- well-planned IED blasts
- killing of security forces
- obstruction of development work
- intimidation and execution of civilians
Despite propaganda by Maoist sympathisers over the years, Hidma had no track record of social welfare or leadership. He was not a reformer. He was a terrorist fully committed to violent insurgency.
Hidma’s Terror Network and Style of Operation
Madvi Hidma specialized in guerilla warfare and ambush tactics. He used the forest cover, hill slopes, and narrow valleys of the Bastar region to plan attacks that would catch security forces by surprise.
His operating methods included:
1. Large-Scale Ambush Planning
Hidma planned attacks using 100–300 armed cadres. These attacks were conducted after months of preparation and human intelligence gathering.
2. Use of IEDs and Land Mines
He was known for planting powerful IEDs on roads and forest routes, causing massive casualties.
3. Destroying Infrastructure
Road projects, bridges, mobile towers, schools, and polling booths were frequently destroyed in areas under his influence.
4. Intimidation of Tribals
Villagers suspected of speaking to police were executed brutally. Many were forced to join Maoist groups against their will.
5. Shielding Maoist Leaders
Hidma acted as the main protector of top Maoist leadership when they moved through the Dandakaranya region.
His control over the region was based on fear. Security agencies consistently recorded him as the most dangerous Maoist terrorist operating in India.
Major Terror Attacks Linked to Madvi Hidma
Madvi Hidma was either the mastermind or a key figure in several major Maoist terror attacks that shocked the country. These incidents caused massive casualties and are among the worst in India’s internal security history.
1. 2010 Dantewada Massacre – 76 CRPF Jawans Killed
This attack is one of the deadliest Maoist assaults ever carried out. Hidma’s team surrounded CRPF personnel and killed 76 jawans in a coordinated ambush. The brutality of the attack exposed the extreme violence of the Maoist movement.
2. 2013 Darbha Valley Attack
In this ambush, Maoists killed senior Congress leaders travelling in a convoy. The attack was designed to sabotage the democratic process and eliminate political leadership in Chhattisgarh.
3. 2017 Sukma Ambush – 25 CRPF Personnel Killed
Hidma orchestrated this attack on CRPF men protecting a road construction project. The attack demonstrated how Maoists violently opposed development work, as roads would have reduced their movement control in the forests.
4. 2021 Sukma-Bijapur Ambush
In this joint ambush, Maoists killed 22 security personnel. Hidma was believed to be commanding the strike group.
5. Repeated IED Blasts and Civilian Killings
Hidma was behind dozens of landmine attacks, kidnappings, and civilian murders. He frequently targeted road construction workers, forest officials, village sarpanches, and anyone suspected of helping the police.
His terror network was responsible for blocking development and spreading fear across large stretches of central India.
Why Security Forces Considered Him India’s Most Dangerous Maoist
Hidma became the most feared terrorist in the Maoist hierarchy because:
- He was involved in almost every major high-casualty attack in Bastar.
- He commanded over 150–250 armed cadres.
- He operated in forests where police movements were extremely restricted.
- He understood the terrain better than any other Maoist.
- He could relocate swiftly, making capture difficult.
- He indoctrinated large groups of tribal youth to support Maoist violence.
Every intelligence report over the past decade placed Hidma at the top of the Maoist terror network.
The 2025 Encounter: How Madvi Hidma Was Killed
After years of intelligence gathering and multiple failed attempts to capture him, security forces finally tracked Madvi Hidma in November 2025. His movement was detected near the dense forest region of Alluri Sitarama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh, close to the tri-junction of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This forest corridor had long served as a covert passage for Maoist leaders.
How the Operation Unfolded
- Intelligence agencies alerted the Andhra Pradesh Police’s anti-Naxal units about the presence of a group of armed Maoists in the Maredumilli forest belt.
- Based on verified inputs, a special anti-Maoist team of the Andhra Pradesh Police launched a pre-dawn operation.
- Upon reaching the Maoist camp area, the team came under fire, triggering a fierce exchange.
- During the gun battle, several Maoists were neutralised.
- Among the dead was Madvi Hidma, identified based on physical features and corroborating intelligence.
Significance of His Death
- It eliminated the most dangerous commander of the PLGA Battalion No. 1.
- It severely weakened the operational strength of Maoists in the Dandakaranya zone.
- It disrupted Maoist movement across the Andhra–Chhattisgarh forest corridor.
- It boosted morale of security forces who had pursued him for nearly two decades.
Hidma’s death in this operation marked one of the biggest successes in India’s campaign against Maoist terrorism.
Conclusion
Madvi Hidma lived and operated as a hardcore Maoist terrorist who caused immense suffering to India’s security forces and innocent civilians. His record is filled with violence, destruction, and ambushes that destabilised entire districts for decades. His rise was based on terror, and his entire career revolved around preventing development and enforcing fear.
His death in the 2025 encounter ended one of the darkest chapters of the Maoist insurgency. While the larger threat of Left-Wing Extremism still requires vigilance, the elimination of Hidma represents a major victory for India’s fight against terrorism.
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