Maoist killed in encounter with Kerala Police at Wayanad

A suspected Maoist has been killed in an encounter with Kerala police's Thunderbolt commandos at Wayanad in Kerala on Tuesday morning.

The incident took place in the Padinjarathara forest areas of Banasura, about 30 kilometres from Kalpetta town, by around 9.15 am. The deceased is yet to be identified, while a search is being carried out for other members.

Police sources said that the incident took place by around 9.15 am. The Thunderbolt commandos were carrying out routine patrolling in the forest areas near Meenmutty waterfalls near Banasura when the suspected Maoists were spotted.

There were around five Maoists and most were in uniform. In a subsequent exchange of firing one was killed while others managed to escape. A riffle was recovered from the spot.

Senior police officers rushed to the spot and combing was launched in the area. Police claimed that the Maoists opened the fire initially and hence the Thunderbolt commandos were forced to retaliate in defence.

Though the identity of the deceased was not yet known, it was suspected that the deceased, aged around 35, was a Tamilnadu native and a member of the Kabani Dalam of the Maoists in the region.

The police have cordoned off the area and the public and media were not allowed to proceed to the spot.

The fresh incident took place close on the heels of allegations that the killing of a Maoist local leader C P Jaleel at a resort at Lakkidi near Vythiri in Wayanad last year was a fake encounter. Three Maoists, including a woman, were killed in another encounter at Palakkad district last year.

Meanwhile, the incident on Tuesday also triggered protest with Congress raising suspicions of a fake encounter and alleging that the Pinarayi Vijayan government was killing Maoists.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said that as many as eight Maoists were killed after the Pinarayi Vijayan government came to power in Kerala and it was quite surprising that Maoists were being killed during the regime of a Communist government. A detailed probe was required into the present incident especially since there were allegations of fake encounter with regard to the earlier incidents.

A section in the CPM, as well as the CPI, were also not favouring killing of Maoists.

According to an official statement from the police, the deceased has been identified as Velmurugan, 33, of Anna Nagar colony at Periyakulam in Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

He was involved in instigating the tribal community members to fight against the government, imparting arms training and recruiting people to such groups. Cases are pending
against him at several police stations in Kerala.