Soni Sori Calls Hidma Encounter ‘Fake’, Alleges He Was Captured and Killed; Vows Court Action

Digital Desk

Social activist Soni Sori has alleged that the encounter in which top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma was killed was “fake,” claiming he was first captured and then murdered. Speaking in Puvarti village of Sukma during Hidma’s funeral on Thursday, Sori said she would approach the court and demand an independent inquiry into the incident.

Hidma, his wife Raje, and four others were gunned down on 18 November in an encounter with security forces in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district. Their bodies were brought to their native village, where hundreds of locals, including Sori, attended the last rites.

“If Devji Can Be Arrested, Why Not Hidma?”

Questioning the police version, Sori said Hidma could have been arrested alive.
“This was not an encounter,it was a planned killing. Six people were picked up and eliminated. If Devji could be arrested, why was Hidma not taken into custody? Only because he was an Adivasi,” she alleged.

Sori, who placed black clothes on Hidma’s body before cremation, described him as “Bastar’s second Gundadhur,” saying he fought for tribals. She claimed police pressured villagers to conduct the funeral earlier than customary.

She added that the group would file a case in court and seek a probe committee.
“An Adivasi rising as a major leader was something the government could not tolerate,” she said.

The Encounter and Hidma’s Trajectory

Hidma, a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and the most-wanted insurgent in Bastar with a ₹1 crore reward, was considered the mastermind of over 26 major attacks and the deaths of more than 300 security personnel and civilians.

Born in Puvarti, Hidma joined Maoists as a teenager and rose through the ranks to command PLGA Battalion No. 1, which had 300–400 cadres. He was linked to major attacks including:

Erra Mor (2006) camp arson, where 25–31 people were burnt alive
Abduction of IAS officer Alex Paul Menon (2012)
Jhiram Ghati attack (2013), which killed 32 Congress leaders and security personnel

In recent years, Hidma operated between Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, constantly shifting hideouts. Security forces tracked him to the border region, where they claim a joint unit engaged the group in an armed encounter.

Aftermath: Naxal Network Weakening

Security officials believe Hidma’s death marks a decisive blow to Maoist operations in Bastar. With their top military strategist gone, many remaining cadres may surrender, officials say.

However, Soni Sori and local villagers insist the full truth behind the killing must be independently investigated.