Ex MLA, Naxalite Org Allege Hidma Killed In ‘Fake Encounter’; ‘Attempt To Spread Misinformation,’ Say Police

Sukma: The death of Naxalite commander Madvi Hidma has sparked a new controversy in Chhattisgarh, with former MLA Manish Kunjam and the Naxalite organisation calling the encounter fake. The police dubbed the claim an "attempt to spread misinformation".

Manish Kunjam, who is also a senior tribal leader of the Bastar Raj Morcha, claimed that the Naxalite commander’s death was not the result of an encounter but part of a power struggle within the Naxalite organisation.

Hidma was caught alive before being killed, he claimed, and added that the "entire game" was planned and engineered by Devji to gain mileage and protect himself. Addressing a press conference in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, Kunjam alleged, "Hidma had been caught alive and then killed. The encounter was completely fake."

Hidma (51), his wife Madkam Raje, and four other Naxalites were killed in an alleged encounter with security personnel in the Maredumilli forest in Alluri Sitaramaraju district of the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on the morning of November 18.

According to Kunjam, Hidma had prepared to surrender and return to the mainstream, but the organisation's top leaders did not accept this proposal. He alleged that Hidma's surrender would have dealt a major blow to the organisation's power and network. Due to this fear and struggle for supremacy, a conspiracy was hatched at Maoist leader Devji's behest, and he was systematically eliminated.

"Look at all the newspapers, Hidma has been made the mastermind of all major (Naxalite) incidents, then what about well-educated people who came from Andhra Pradesh (and were active as Maoists). Were they just peeling grass? They put all the blame on Hidma. They got him killed and arrested the rest," he said.

Devji is neither arrested nor killed. He is comfortably sitting somewhere as a guest of the Andhra Pradesh government, Kunjam alleged. He also blamed leaders from Andhra Pradesh for "arming and instigating" Bastar's tribal youth into the armed movement.

Kunjam said, "I want to appeal to (Maoist leaders) Hirra, Deva in Sukma and others to surrender. There is no need to go to Andhra or Telangana. If needed, I will go to bring them back and help them surrender."

“If this were a true encounter, why has no transparent evidence or direct proof emerged yet? An independent investigation of this incident should be conducted to make the truth public,” he said.

Kunjam is a former Communist Party of India (CPI) MLA from the Konta assembly constituency when it was still in Madhya Pradesh, as Chhattisgarh was yet to be carved out. He now runs his own organisation named Bastariya Raj Morcha.

Meanwhile, Abhay, spokesperson of the Naxalite organisation's Central Committee, issued a press note claiming that Hidma was killed in a fake encounter. “He had gone to Vijayawada for treatment, where security agencies secretly arrested him. An attempt was made to force Hidma to surrender, and when that failed, he and five other comrades were killed”. The Naxalites called the incident a fake encounter and announced a nationwide protest day on November 23rd to protest the killing.

Dismissing the allegations, police said certain vested interests were attempting to spread misinformation."The recent joint operation by police and security forces in Andhra Pradesh's bordering Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district has dealt a major blow to the Maoist network," Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj Pattilingam told PTI.

"The neutralisation of some of the most violent and dreaded Maoist cadres has significantly weakened the operational strength of the banned Maoist outfit and boosted security and public confidence across Bastar," he said. Pattilingam added that attempts by vested interests to spread misinformation cannot overshadow the fact that the operation marks a critical turning point in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism.

He stressed that Bastar's path to reform and rehabilitation remains open to every Maoist cadre, regardless of rank. "Whether it is Barse Deva, Pappa Rao, Devji, Erra, Kesa, or anyone else, this is the moment to abandon violence and return to a peaceful, dignified life. They can approach the police, district administration, security forces, village elders, media, public representatives, or any trusted local resident. Help is available everywhere," he said.

Since January 2024, more than 450 Maoists, including several Central Committee members and top leaders such as general secretary Nambala Kesava Rao alias Basavaraju, have been killed in separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh.

Last month, nearly 300 Naxalites, including Central Committee member Rupesh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh, while senior Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi and 60 other cadres laid down their arms in neighbouring Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. (With inputs from PTI).

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