Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Police have launched one of their most extensive operations in recent years, arresting 31 alleged Maoist operatives across multiple districts as part of a coordinated offensive against left-wing extremism. The arrests came only hours after the encounter death of senior Maoist commander Madvi Hidma on Tuesday, November 18, prompting a significant escalation in anti-Naxal activity across the state.
The detainees include nine individuals believed to be part of the security team of Devji, a senior figure in the Maoist Central Committee. Police teams carried out simultaneous searches across Vijayawada, NTR, Krishna, Kakinada and neighbouring districts. Six suspects were detained from a single residential building in Penamaluru in Krishna district.
Investigators believe the property was functioning as a covert shelter used for operational and organisational work.
A parallel operation led by OCTOPUS, the specialised counter terror unit, resulted in the recovery of a substantial weapons cache. Police seized several AK-47 rifles along with a large quantity of detonators, which they believe were intended for future attacks.
Initial investigations suggest that many of those arrested belonged to the 1st Battalion that once operated under Hidma’s command. After intensified surveillance in recent weeks, several suspects are thought to have attempted escape into nearby cities or forested regions. Police sources say the group had maintained active links with Maoist units in Chhattisgarh and had been monitored covertly for nearly six weeks.
Earlier on the same day, the police confirmed that Hidma had been killed in a gun battle in the dense forests of Marud Palli in Alluri Sitharamaraju district. The encounter began early in the morning deep within the forested stretch that lies close to the tri-junction of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Security forces recovered six bodies from the site. Among the dead are believed to be Hidma’s wife, Raje, and several senior Maoist members who were part of his personal guard unit.
Hidma was long considered one of the most dangerous Maoist commanders in the region. He carried a substantial bounty and was suspected of orchestrating at least 26 major attacks across Bastar, Sukma, Dantewada and other strongholds within the Red Corridor.
Intelligence agencies had tracked his movements for more than a day before launching the operation that ended in his death.
Search and surveillance efforts continue across several districts as police attempt to locate additional members who may be in hiding or trying to regroup.
