Pune students face FIR for glorifying Maoist leader

A major controversy has erupted in Pune, India, after police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against two college students for allegedly glorifying a banned Maoist leader during a cultural performance. The event was held between April 6 and 14 at a government hostel to mark B.R. Ambedkar's birth anniversary, with the theme 'Save Trees.' The students are accused of glorifying Madvi Hidma, a senior commander of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) who was killed in an encounter in November 2025 and carried a ₹1 crore bounty for his alleged involvement in deadly attacks on security forces.