Naxalite Deva Barse Claims He Was Trapped, Alleges Fake Encounter of Hidma

Notorious Naxalite leader Deva Barse, former Commander-in-Chief of Battalion No. 1, has made serious allegations against security forces, claiming that he did not surrender voluntarily but was deceived and forced into surrender. Barse, who recently surrendered along with 19 associates in Hyderabad, also described the killing of his close aide Hidma as a “fake encounter.”

Addressing the media after his surrender, Barse stated that he was captured while on an organisational assignment and was later presented as having surrendered. “I did not come out of the forest to surrender. I was trapped and detained by the police,” he claimed.

Allegations of Forced Surrender

According to Barse, on December 29, he was travelling in two Bolero vehicles for organisational work when security forces surrounded and detained him. He alleged that he was interrogated for nearly four days before being taken to Hyderabad, where he was formally shown as surrendered on January 3.

Barse said he had been operating in the Chhattisgarh–Telangana border region from late September to December 2025.

Claims of Fake Encounter

Barse strongly denied allegations made by Manish Kunjam, who had accused him of orchestrating Hidma’s killing. He said Hidma was alive and in contact with him until October 27.

“Hidma was travelling to Vijayawada for medical treatment when he was captured and killed by the police. He was not killed by us,” Barse alleged, calling the incident a fake encounter.

Operational Details

Recalling a major operation at Karregutta hill, Barse said the Naxal leadership initially underestimated the scale of the security forces’ action.
“We thought it would be a one- or two-day operation, but it turned into a massive offensive,” he said.

Barse claimed that while no Naxal cadres were killed during the hilltop encounter, 36 of his associates were captured and killed by security forces. He said he had managed to evacuate senior leaders to different locations during the operation.

Recruitment and Arms

Barse revealed that he joined the Naxalite movement in 2003, while Hidma had been associated with the organisation since 1997.
“We were driven by ideology. Hidma considered me his brother,” he said.

He clarified that the organisation did not receive weapons from foreign sources. “Most weapons were looted. Israeli Tavor rifles and American Colt M4s are used by security forces, not supplied to us,” he claimed.

Regarding recruitment, Barse said that only individuals above 15 years of age were inducted into the PLGA battalion and denied allegations of forced recruitment.

No Message to Cadres

Barse said he had no message for active cadres.
“If they want to surrender, they can. I cannot instruct anyone,” he stated, adding that he currently had nothing to say to community leaders or the public.