Tamil Nadu Timeline 2018

Date

Incidents

January 2

CPI-Maoist cadres identified as Roopesh, Shyna, Anoop Mathew, Veeramani and Kannan were Coimbatore District and Principal Sessions Court at Coimbatore District. Roopesh was brought under tight security from Kerala. They raised slogans demanding release of Muslim convicts who are lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison for more than 10 years, political prisoners and Sri Lankan prisoners.

Indicating a significant presence in the region and a sign of their growing strength in Kerala, groups of CPI-Maoist cadres were spotted a total of 91 times along the Kerala side of the inter-State border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu throughout 2017, said, the Nilgiris District Police of Tamil Nadu. No recorded instance of intrusion from Kerala side, claim Police. These include both direct sightings by the Police and those by locals living in the villages along the border. Officials said that the Maoists, belonging to four Dalams - the Bhavani Dalam in Palakkad, Nadugani Dalam in Malappuram, Kabani Dalam in Wayanad and Siruvani Dalam in Palakkad - are known to be active in the region. "Of the four, the Siruvani Dalam is believed to be defunct, but we have intelligence that some of their members could be active," said a Police officer involved with anti-Maoist operation. Though the number of sightings of Maoists has increased over the last few years, the Nilgiris District SP, Murali Rambha, said that there has not been a single incursion of any radical left-wing groups into the Nilgiris.

A joint operation by Tiruvallur Police and the 'Q' Branch of the State Police arrested three CPI-Maoist cadres identified as D Dasarathan and his wife, Kanimozhi and Dasarathan's brother Vetriveerapandiyan in Pullarambakkam, near Pondicherry in Tiruvallur District. Dasarathan, Maoist leader has been hiding since 2003, while his wife, Kanimozhi was underground since 2008. They were booked under various sections of the IPC and the UAPA for offences including criminal conspiracy and starting a war. They were produced before the magistrate and sent to judicial custody on February 11, said Senior Police Officer.

CPI-Maoist couple Dasarathan and Shenbagavalli, along with Dasarathan's brother Vetriveerapandian, was brought to Madurai by the Tiruvallur Police. The CPI-Maoist couple was arrested at Pullarambakkam in Tiruvallur District. They were brought to Kalavasal, where they had reportedly stayed in the past.

Suspected CPI-Maoist cadre identified as Shenbagavalli, who reportedly participated in an arms training on Kodaikanal Hills in 2004, was brought from Puzhal Central Prison, Chennai, and produced before Judicial Magistrate Court II in Dindigul District. The court adjourned the case till June 4 for further hearing. Later, Shenbagavalli was taken back to the Puzhal prison. When Anti-Naxal Wing Police killed Naveen Prasad for participating in the arms training at Poyyavali area on Upper Kodaikanal hills in 2004, nine suspected Maoists managed to escape. The Police arrested one Ranjith at the spot. After an intensive search, the Police arrested seven suspected Maoists in different parts of the State. Shenbagavalli was arrested in Pullarambakkam village near Poondi in Tiruvallur District on February 10 this year.