Maoist encounter in Kerala: TN police step up vigil in border


Chennai: In the aftermath of a gun battle between the Thunderbolts commandos of Kerala and suspected Maoists in the Kannur district, the Tamil Nadu police security forces are maintaining constant surveillance in border areas and hilly regions, including Nilgiris and Mudumalai forest.

The intensive search operation is being carried out at Mudumalai Forest range as the state police of Tamil Nadu suspect the Maoists who had a gunfight with the police in Kannur, Kerala, hiding in the region.

The police also keep close surveillance in all the entry and checkpoints of Mudumalai Forest Range as they suspect Maoists may lurk in the area.

Similarly, Nilgiri District Superintendent of Police Sundaravadivel personally visited the checkpoints located on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala state border and the Ovali checkpoint located in the area adjacent to the forest area and gave instructions to the policemen on duty to be vigilant. Over 50 special task force police headed by him intensified searches in the border areas of the tri-junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka in the Nilgiris district.

A group of Maoists who were lurking in Kerala’s Kannur forest were rounded up by the Kerala Task Force police on Monday. Later, a fierce gun battle took place between Kerala’s ‘Thunderbolts’ Commandos and the Maoists. This incident comes a week after a similar gun battle occurred between Kerala special forces and Maoists in the hilly Wayanad district. At the end of this encounter, 2 Maoists were caught by the police. They are being investigated.

The three state police including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala have investigated the Maoists caught in Kerala.