Kerala Timeline 2018

Date

Incidents

CPI-Maoist has succeeded in establishing RPC in many colonies on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border and re-emerging in Kerala, says Intelligence Sources According to the reports, G Krishnamoorthy, 'CC member' from Karnataka, has taken charge of Kerala operations in place of Kuppuswamy aka Kuppu Devaraj who was killed in an encounter at Nilambur in Malappuram District on November 24, 2016. Krishnamoorthy has been successful in organising meetings in these areas which were attended by PLGA cadres. CPI-Maoist cadres are known to make their presence felt initially with lightning appearances and distribution of leaflets in potential areas of growth dare to form RPCs only after they get feelers that the ground is fertile. Maoists have succeeded in forming RPCs in half a dozen tribal colonies, including some in Attappadi.

Kerala Police recovered explosives from under the Kuttippuram Bridge across the Bharathapuzha River at Kuttippuram in Malappuram District. The explosives found are remotely operated and are made for the Indian Army in Maharashtra. CPI-Maoist cadres are suspected to be in possession of Claymore mines, used exclusively by the Indian Army, said Police.

Maoist presence has been detected at Kodenchery in Kozhikode District of Kerala. According to sources, a team of four armed CPI-Maoists visited the house of an individual identified as Abraham. After asking for tea, the Maoists asked the family staying at the house to cook food for them.

The UMHA has come out with an analysis saying that LWEs violence is taking place only in Kerala and not in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Though the three States- Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (KKT) form the tri-junction where CPI-Maoist cadres have been establishing their strong presence, no LWE violence was reported in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu while 23 incidents were reported in Kerala between 2014 and 2017. The report on LWE violence in KKT was submitted by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir in a written reply to a question raised by Kodikunnil Suresh in Parliament.

As per the MHA, while no violence was reported in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu since 2014, violence data for Kerala was 2014 - eight, 2015 - ten, 2016 - five, 2017 - 0 (upto 15-12-2017).The MHA's assessment of the LWE violence in Kerala cannot be taken lightly by the Kerala Government as the state has been witnessing heightened activities of the CPI-Maoist in the past two years. "We don't want to comment on LWE violence data of the Union Government. But we have been taking necessary steps which included strengthening the combing operations to flush out Maoists holed up in forest regions in Wayanad, Kozhikode and Kannur," said Kannur Range IGP, Mahipal Yadav. Another senior Police officer said: "we have launched a detailed probe after armed suspected Maoists visited a house at Kodenchery in Kozhikode District last week (January 18) and took away all the rice from the house."

The NIA filed a charge sheet against three CPI-Maoist cadres for allegedly threatening a Police Officer at Vellamunda in 2014 for conducting anti-Maoist operations. The accused CPI-Maoist cadres are identified as Kanya (34), a native of Mavinakere village in Chikkamagaluru District in Karnataka, and two absconders--Mahesh and Geetha of Raichur and Dakshina Kannada Districts of Karnataka. The accused have been charged under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy, sedition, provisions of the Arms Act and anti-terror law.

CPI-Maoist issued a statement, calling for protests against the lynching of tribal youth Madhu in Attapadi. The statement issued by CPI-Maoist spokesperson Jogi said the incident reflects the cruel racist onslaught by Malayalis against the tribal community which must be resisted by all progressive forces. The statement by the WGSZC of the CPI-Maoist, which was dropped in news boxes of Wayanad Press Club, alleged that hundreds of tribal people had been murdered in the tribal regions of the state, including Attapadi.

Activities of LWE groups, including that of CPI-Maoist, have been reported in northern parts of the State, especially among tribals, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated in Thiruvananthapuram, the State capital. However, Vijayan said there were no reports that LWE was on the increase in the State. A unified command has been formed under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister to review the situation, Vijayan said during question hour in the assembly. Maoist presence has been noticed in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Palakkad and Kannur Districts, he added.

Kerala Police officials revealed that the huge cache of explosives seized at Mongam in Malappuram District was trafficked from Telengana. Kerala Police recovered seven tonnes of gelatin sticks, 17,000 detonators and six tonnes of safety fuse from a lorry and arrested two people on March 28. The explosives were hidden in the sacks filled with chicken and goat droppings while being smuggled. According to latest reports, massive collection of explosives is being smuggled to Kerala from a company in Telangana. A former Naxal leader is running the company. He was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for Naxal activities. After releasing from the prison, he started an explosives manufacturing company. Wayanad police had registered a case against him after seizing a truck carried with explosives taken from his company. He possesses the license to keep 10 tonnes of explosives in his custody at Telangana. A large mafia is working under him, said Police.