Maoist Killings: Is police misleading Human Rights Commission?

In a huge embarrassment for the state government, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission rejected the report submitted by the Kerala Police on the 'encounter' killing of two Maoist leaders at Nilambur in the last week of November 2016. The report is mysteriously silent on many key questions raised by human rights activists and the civil society. 

Rejecting the report submitted by the District Police Chief of Malappuram, the commission directed the DGP Loknath Behra to file a comprehensive one with postmortem reports, FIR and magisterial level enquiry report with in three weeks. It found the report by the officer lacking in vital details. It also sought whether the procedures as per the CRPC 158 and 176 were adhered to in the case. 

K Mohankumar, a member of the commission, expressed doubts about whether the district police chief had any role in the appointment, guidance and control of the special team that carried out the anti-Maoist operation. The commission also wanted more satisfactory replies on the questions raised on the alleged violation of human rights involved in the operation.  

The police report clarified that Thunderbolt commandos and a special team of police were part of the team that combed the forests for Maoists. But it kept silent on the officer who led the operation. The report was also silent about whether the firing was necessary and justifiable.

Kuppu Devaraj, the central committee member of CPI-Maoist and Ajitha, another top leader of the Maoist group, were shot dead by Kerala Police in November deep inside the forests of Nilambur bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The post mortem of the dead bodies recovered dozens of bullets, many of them fired from close range. The incident and the studied silence of the police on the details of the operation raised suspicions that it was a fake encounter case. 

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• Nilambur Maoist Killing
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• Kerala Police
• fake encounter killing