Bhubaneswar, May 29 (Reporter) In a significant breakthrough in anti-Maoist operations, the Koraput Police have arrested notorious Maoist leader Kunjam Hidma, alias Mohan, during a combing operation, Koraput SP Rohit Verma informed the media on Thursday. Addressing reporters at the Koraput Police Headquarters, SP Verma said Hidma, also known as Mohan, is a resident of the Usur police station area in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. The police recovered one AK-47 rifle, 35 rounds of ammunition, 27 electric detonators, 90 non-electric detonators, 2 kg of gunpowder, Maoist literature, and other incriminating items from his possession. According to the SP, a special team comprising DVF personnel, led by SDPO Jeypore Partha Kashyap, was formed on the night of May 28 based on intelligence inputs about the Maoist movement in the forest near Petguda village under Bypariguda police station limits. Verma said that during the raid, the Maoists opened fire on the DVF team in an attempt to escape. The DVF personnel returned fire in self-defence. While some Maoists managed to flee, Kunjam Hidma was apprehended by the police. Hidma is believed to have been directly involved in several Maoist incidents, including those in Chandmeta (Chhattisgarh) in 2021, Kolengdaba in 2023, Kondajhari (Odisha) in 2020, and Kumbhikhari in 2021. Additionally, he is wanted in four cases registered at Bypariguda police station in Koraput district and three cases at Maithili police station in Malkangiri district of Odisha. The police also suspect his involvement in multiple encounters between Maoists and security forces. Hidma joined the CPI (Maoist) in 2007. He initially became part of the outfit’s cultural wings—Baal Sangham and Jananatya Sangh (JNM)—and served as a party member in the Local Organization Squad (LOS) of Usur from 2013 to 2015. In 2016, he was inducted into the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) Platoon and was promoted to the rank of ACM (Area Committee Member) in 2019. Between 2021 and 2022, Hidma was posted in Section-01 of the AOB Platoon. In 2023, he was transferred to Platoon-24 in the Keralapal area of Sukma district. In 2024, he was temporarily moved to Platoon-26, operating in the Malengiri region of Sukma. In May 2025, he returned to the AOB unit and was serving as an ACM under Suresh (SZCM) in the South Bastar and Keralapal areas of Chhattisgarh...////...