VIJAYAWADA: State Intelligence Department chief Mahesh Chandra Laddha on Wednesday said the Andhra Pradesh police is working intensively to make the State free from Maoists and other extremist elements by March 2026. His statement comes in the wake of two major exchange-of-fire incidents on Tuesday and Wednesday, in which 13 Maoists, including senior cadres, were killed.
Addressing the media, he said around 50 Maoists of various cadres from Chhattisgarh and Telangana had recently crossed into Andhra Pradesh seeking shelter. As part of a coordinated intelligence operation, more than 50 Maoists were arrested across Krishna, Eluru, NTR, Konaseema, ASR and Kakinada districts.
He said six Maoists, including central committee member Madvi Hidma alias Santosh, were killed in an encounter near Uttaluru in Maredumilli mandal. A large cache of weapons, ammunition and other materials was recovered during post-encounter searches. “It is one of the most comprehensive and intelligence-driven crackdowns in recent years,” Laddha said.
Explaining the operation, he noted that the police had been closely monitoring the movement of Maoist groups crossing the borders from Chhattisgarh and Telangana. After the Centre launched Operation Kagar, Maoists in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected States faced increased pressure, forcing them to move into Andhra Pradesh.
Several cadres, including Special Zonal Committee members and divisional and area committee leaders, entered the State, conducted reconnaissance and planned violent activities to revive the movement before escaping into the Andhra–Odisha Border (AOB) region. He said allegations that police failed to stop Maoists from entering the State were baseless, adding that specialised teams were positioned across sensitive zones. “If we had moved in the first week, we would not have been able to arrest 50 Maoists in a single operation,” he said.
He appealed to Maoists to surrender, noting that the government is offering rehabilitation, job opportunities and welfare support. He cautioned that retaliatory attacks may follow the recent encounters, and said security has been tightened in agency areas. Meanwhile, all 50 arrested Maoists were produced before district courts and remanded to judicial custody till December 3.