Visuals found on the data storage devices that the Kerala Police had recovered from the Karulayi jungle in Nilambur in Malappuram district after two Maoists were killed in encounter reportedly showed left extremist leaders asking followers to oppose the Constitution and Government and to prepare for armed struggle.
Kupu Devaraj, a central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) who was killed along with woman extremist Ajitha in the encounter with the Thunderbolt commandos of the Kerala Police on November 24, is seen in the video found in one of the pen drives asking the extremists to focus attention on colonies of Adivasis and to take care not to lose their support.
The visuals found on the pen drives recovered from the Maoists’ camp have appeared in the visual media of Kerala in the particular context of the suspicion aired by certain rights groups and the CPI, second biggest partner in the CPI(M)-led ruling lDF, that the police could have killed the two Maoists in unilateral firing in a fake encounter.
Kupu Devaraj could be seen in the videos as speaking to an assembly of about 15 extremists including three women in a jungle camp and Vikram Gowda, another Maoist leader, is seen as shouting slogans. Devaraj was telling the assembly that the organization had been able to rope in three Adivasis and that activities should be expanded among the Adivasis.
The police have not disclosed the identity of the three Adivasis who were said to have joined the extremist organisation reportedly for security reasons. The extremist leader was also seen as telling the assembly that programmes were being implemented for roping in more Adivasis to the outfit and that more Adivasis had already expressed readiness to join it.
According to the police, all the speeches found on the pen drives were in Tamil. Devaraj (61), who was reportedly known as Manju among the Maoists, and Ajitha alias Kaveri (45) were natives of Tamil Nadu.
The police are still examining the contents of the pen drives and other gadgets found from the Maoist camp near the spot where the encounter had taken place.
This is the first time the Kerala Police have been able to get videos of Maoists holding training sessions in the jungles. The visuals also showed the extremists conducting weapons training for which they had prepared detailed schedules. The police have confiscated documents that described the Maoist methods of conducting the war against the “enemy” (police).
Police officials said that they had got enough evidences to believe that the Maoists who were camping in the Karulayi forest had planned to kidnap some officers of the Kerala Forest Department. Voice records had showed that the Maoists had prepared several plans of action against the Government.