Nilambur: Why was no policeman injured in the “encounter” with Maoists inside the Karulai forest range in Nilambur? Why weren’t the bodies of a man and a woman shot by the police not carried out of the forest for around 30 hours? Who exactly were the people gunned down?
Unanswered questions have shrouded in mystery the claims of the police that the commandos shot down two armed guerillas inside the forest on Thursday noon. Contrary to claims by the police, the rebels might have been killed by the police commandos who rounded off their hideout in the jungle.
Mediapersons had not been let inside the area where the firing was claimed to happen, as is the practice in other states whenever the police confronts the guerillas. The Kerala police have not even cited security precautions as a reason for not letting in the media.
Top officers are yet to call for a press conference to explain the incident and the events leading up to it. They have not officially confirmed the names and other details of the deceased persons. CPI (Maoist) leader Kuppu Devaraj (60) and Kaveri aka Ajitha are believed to have been killed in the action.
More importantly, no other injuries are reported from the “encounter”, not on the cops or any other Maoists. The only firearm recovered from the site was a pistol by the body of Devaraj, suggesting that the police had encircled the camp and fired at the defenseless targets. Devaraj’s body was found 28 meters away from that of Ajitha. Both of them were in military fatigues.
The police have confirmed the death of two persons without naming them, but did little to contain rumors that a third person was also killed. The police could not explain the loud blast heard from within the forest on Friday evening.
The commandos had combed the forest for the comrades of the deceased rebels. The 60-member police squad spent the entire night in the forest. The first Thunderbolt commando came out of the forest by 1 pm on Friday. By 6:45 pm, two ambulances carried the bodies outside. Others in the team followed soon after.
