Seven Maoists Killed in Andhra Encounter, Second Strike After Hidma’s Death

In one of the most significant anti-Maoist operations in recent years, Andhra Pradesh Police on Wednesday gunned down seven Maoists in an exchange of fire near Maredumilli in Alluri Sitaramaraju district, less than 24 hours after a similar encounter in the same region left six Maoists dead, including dreaded commander Madvi Hidma.

Addressing a press conference in Vijayawada, Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha said three women were among the seven Maoists killed on Wednesday morning. The encounter took place around 7 am, approximately 7 km from Tuesday’s exchange of fire site, indicating what officials described as a “continuation of sustained combing operations” in the dense forest zone.

Identification of the deceased is under way, but police confirmed that one of the slain cadres was Meturi Jokha Rao, popularly known as Tech Shankar . A native of Srikakulam, Shankar was a Central Committee Member (CCM) of the CPI (Maoist) and headed the Andhra–Odisha Border (AOB) area committee. Known for his technical expertise, he specialised in arms manufacturing and communication systems within the Maoist network. Preliminary information suggests he had been active in the movement for nearly 20 years and had shifted base due to heightened security pressure in neighbouring states.

According to Laddha, Shankar may have entered Andhra Pradesh as part of efforts to revive Maoist activity in the AOB region, which has seen notable decline following sustained police operations in recent years.

Wednesday’s development came on the heels of Tuesday’s high-impact encounter in which top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma was killed. Hidma, who led the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, the outfit’s most potent fighting unit, was widely believed to be the mastermind behind several major attacks in the last two decades. His influence extended across the Dandakaranya region, spanning parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division.

Chhattisgarh Police described Hidma’s elimination as the “final nail in the coffin” of the insurgency in central India, marking a major setback for the Maoist organisation at a time when it is already struggling with depleting cadre strength and dwindling operational capacity.