NIA declares ₹7 lakh bounty on Maoist leader Madvi Hidma

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has declared a reward of ₹7 lakh for the arrest of Madvi Hidma, who heads the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion 1 of the Maoists, a lethally armed and skilled unit of the banned group lively in southern Chhattisgarh, one of many worst areas affected by Left Wing Extremism.

Though the reward has been introduced in a 2019 case pertaining to the killing of Chhattisgarh legislator Bhima Mandavi, the State police had stated Hidma was concerned within the April 3 ambush on the Sukma—Bijapur border the place 22 security personnel were killed.

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A ₹10 lakh reward has additionally been introduced for info resulting in the arrest of CPI (Maoist) normal secretary Basavaraju, alias Nambala Keshava Rao, 66. He already has a reward of ₹1.85 crore on his head, introduced cumulatively by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

According to a police file accessed by The Puucho, Rao was final noticed within the “cut—off” space in Odisha’s Malkangiri district in November 2019. An engineer, Rao heads the intelligence and navy wing of the banned group and is lively within the Abujhmaad space of Chhattisgarh. Rao replaced Ganapathi as normal secretary in February 2017. A reward of ₹10 lakh every has additionally been introduced for info on Polit Bureau members Mallojula Venugopal and Katkam Sudarshan. Venugopal who usually points statements on behalf of the banned group by the title “Abhay” additionally has a reward of ₹1.55 crore on his arrest as introduced by the States of Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Telengana and Odisha. Sudarshan has ₹1.4 crore reward by different State police. Sudarshan was final noticed in July 2020 in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli and Sudarshan at Bhattiguda in Chattisgarh’s Bijapur.

The rewards had been introduced by NIA on April 1 towards 21 Maoists together with the highest management.

The NIA had taken over the investigations within the killing of Bhima Mandavi and 4 safety personnel from Chhattisgarh Police in 2019 however the central company was handed over the case paperwork and properties by the police solely in March 2020, the company stated. It arrested six individuals for offering logistics to Maoists and a chargehseet was filed in October 2020 the place the NIA stated that “the decision to kill Bhima Mandavi, the then MLA of Dantewada, was taken at Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) level meeting held in December 2018 in West Bastar, Chhattisgarh.”

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NIA stated its investigation established that high Maoist management, Nambala Keshava Rao was actively concerned within the conspiracy together with Kattam Sudarshan, Mallojulla Venugopal, Thippari Tirupati alias Dev ji, Roulla Srinivas alias Ramanna, Hidma, Ganesh Uike alias Pakka and Hanumantu.

The others towards whom rewards have been introduced are Barse Sukka — ₹5 lakh, Giri Reddy — ₹7 lakh, Masa Madvi — ₹ 1 lakh. Linge Madkam — ₹2 lakh, Madvi Deve — ₹50,000, Madvi Linga — ₹50,000, Kuhram Sunita — ₹50,000, Midiyam Suresh — ₹50,000, Umesh Hemla — ₹20,000, Jagdish Kudam — ₹3 lakh, Paka Hanumanthu — ₹7 lakh and Sappo Hunga — ₹5 lakh.

The NIA doesn’t have images of 11 of the wished individuals whereas a single grainy {photograph} of Hidma, accessible with all different safety businesses and police dates again to 2007.

Officials stated that Hidma had risen the ranks among the many Maoists and had been tasked to hold out operations towards safety forces in smaller teams.

A letter launched by the Central Committee of the CPI (Maoists) in 2016 stated that “PLGA has been fighting the mercenary police and paramilitary forces of the exploitative ruling classes under the leadership of the party… to develop Dandakaranya zone into liberated areas.”

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The Dandakaranya area, which incorporates elements of Maharashtra, southern Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana is claimed to be the stronghold of the Maoists they usually think about it as a “liberated zone.” According to a police file, Hidma, a Class VIII dropout belongs to Jagargunda in Sukma district and is claimed to wield super affect on the locals there.

He can also be stated to be concerned the 2010 assault when 76 CRPF jawans were killed at Tadmetla in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. His involvement can also be suspected within the March 11, 2017 incident when 12 CRPF jawans had been ambushed after they had gone to safe a highway—development social gathering close to Bhejji in Sukma. Police stated that Hidma’s group killed 17 members of a police patrol in Chattisgarh’s Sukma on March 22, 2020.