Two more Maoists charge sheeted by NIA in 2023 Wayanad KDFC office attack case

New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted two more accused in the 2023 Maoist attack on Wayanad (Kerala) KFDC office, the agency said on Wednesday.

In the supplementary chargesheet filed before the NIA Special Court, Ernakulam, Kerala, the two accused, Santhosh Kumar A alias Raja and H.S. Ravindra alias Kottehonda Ravi alias Manoj, have been charged under various sections of the IPC, Arms Act, PDPP Act, UA (P) Act and Kerala Forest Act, 1961.

According to the NIA, it had earlier chargesheeted three other accused - C.P. Moideen, Manoj P.M. and P. K. Soman, in the case RC-03/2024/NIA/KOC.

“All five, identified as members of the proscribed CPI (Maoist) terror organisation, had been earlier arrested by NIA, which took over the investigation from the Thalapuzha police in October last year,” the agency said in its press statement.

“Armed with deadly weapons, the five accused had, on September 28 2023, criminally trespassed into the Kerala Forest Department Corporation (KFDC) office at Wayanad,” it said.

The slogan-shouting CPI (Maoist) members had forcibly restrained the Manager, threatened the other staff members at gunpoint, damaged the public property, and pasted posters of CPI (Maoist) in the office premises.

The agency added that the investigation continues.

It is pertinent to note here that C.P. Moideen alias Girish alias Salil alias Sajan, Manoj P.M. alias Ashique, and P.K. Soman alias Shahid alias Akbar were among the five Maoists who attacked the Kerala Forest Department Corporation (KFDC) office and shouted slogans as part of their violent anti-national agenda, the NIA said in the chargesheet.

The guerrillas had been charged under various sections of the IPC, Arms Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Kerala Forest Act, 1961 and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, said an NIA official.

The NIA, which took over the case a few days later, found during the investigation that C.P. Moideen, Manoj P.M., and P.K. Sonam, along with H. S. Ravindra alias Kotehonda Ravialias alias Manoj alias Ramu and Santhosh Kumar A alias Sandhosh Kumar alias Raja, were members of the Military Wing People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) of CPI (Maoist).

They had formed a local guerrilla squad named Kabani Dalam in Wayanad forests, and were actively engaged in acts of terrorism, aimed at spreading fear among the public and destabilising the government. The attack at KFDC was part of their violent anti-national agenda, the NIA had said.

--IANS

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