Vijayawada, November 18: A major Maoist shelter zone operating in Vijayawada has been busted, with police taking 27 Maoists into custody in a swift operation. The arrests came after intelligence inputs indicated that Maoists from Chhattisgarh had secretly converted a building in Kanuru New Autonagar into a safe house.
Greyhounds, Octopus teams and district police intensified checks across the area, launching coordinated searches. Authorities discovered that Maoists had allegedly dumped a large cache of weapons at the site. All 27 individuals found in the shelter zone were detained.
Under the leadership of Krishna district SP Vidyasagar Naidu, Octopus and Greyhounds forces reportedly apprehended the group, which includes 21 women and six men. Their identities came to light through details found in a diary seized during the recent Maredumilli encounter. Acting on this information, police traced the movements of the group and zeroed in on the hideout. It is believed that one woman had been providing shelter to the entire group. All those detained have been shifted to a secure location.
Officials also note that, amid the Centre’s intensified combing operations under Operation Kagar, Maoists appear to be moving out of forest zones and slipping into urban centres for refuge.
Earlier this morning (Tuesday), a heavy encounter took place between security forces and Maoists in the Maredumilli forests of Alluri Sitarama Raju district. Top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma was killed in the exchange. Along with Hidma, six Maoists died in the encounter. Andhra Pradesh DGP Harish Kumar Gupta confirmed the details.
Police have been placed on high alert across Andhra Pradesh as well as Telangana following the encounter of the top Maoist leader and the arrest of several Maoists.
Time’s up. The clock is ticking loud – Naxals have just four months left.
And remember: this is the Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s No compromise government, with Hon’ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji leading from the front.
Lay down the weapon and return to life. By next… pic.twitter.com/w2ZLlU95XZ
— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (@bandisanjay_bjp) November 18, 2025
Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Minister of State for Home Affairs, said: “Time’s up. The clock is ticking loud — Naxals have just four months left. And remember: this is the Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s no-compromise government, with Hon’ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji leading from the front. Lay down the weapon and return to life. By next March, Maoism will be finished.
Stop falling for the urban Naxals who sit safely in cities, build their wealth under every government, and push poor youth into forests to starve with guns. They are the reason innocents die. They are the real traitors.”
