Thiruvananthapuram: A suspected Maoist was killed in heavy exchange of fire with the police in Kerala's Wayanad district.
According to police sources, a group of nearly five people arrived at a resort in district's Vythiri region and asked for food and cash. The resort staff informed police about the presence of the extremist group and a specialised 'Thunderbolt' (Anti-Maoist) squad of the Kerala Police rushed in.
Kannur Range IG Balram Kumar Upadhyay said that when a team of police officers reached the resort, the Maoists opened fire at them, prompting police to take action.
While a person was killed in the firing, another was injured. Police said that they have conducted checks inside the resort and have not been able to find the injured. "Search operations are still underway in the forest area," Kannur Range IG said.
The identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained. However, according to initial reports, CP Jaleel, a member of the armed group and brother of CP Moideen and CP Ismail, has been killed in the encounter.
According to sources, Velmurugan, another member of the group is in custody. Meanwhile, police denied taking anyone into custody.
According to police, no officer had been injured in the firefight, which was continuing late into the night. The group had around 10 Maoists, armed with automatic weapons, possibly AK-47s, officers said.
Wayanad shares its borders with Tanil Nadu and Karnataka, and there are chances that the Maoists might have gone deep into the forest and crossed over to the other states. In November 2016, Maoists Kuppu Devaraj and Ajitha were killed in an encounter in the Nilambur forest area.
A high-level meeting of police and district officials has been convened by the Inspector General of Police, Kannur Range. Kerala Thunderbolts is an elite command force of the Kerala Police under the India Reserve Battalion.
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