A group of armed persons suspected to be Maoists were again sighted at Kambamala, near Thalappuzha, in Wayanad district of Kerala on April 24 morning.
Four armed persons, reportedly including Maoist leader C.P. Moideen, entered an estate lane around 6.10 a.m. and gathered estate workers at Kambamala junction. They interacted with the workers and reportedly asked them to “boycott” the Lok Sabha elections.
“There is no need for any rulers as the public themselves decide their destiny,” the suspected Maoists told the workers. They spent nearly 20 minutes in the area.
After the workers entered into an altercation with them, the suspected Maoists reportedly entered the Makkimala forest under the North Wayanad forest division.
The workers later said the “recurring presence” of Maoists has “destroyed the tranquillity of the human habitats.”
The police attached to the Thalappuzha and Mananthavady stations as well as elite commando force Kerala Thunderbolts conducted a quick search in the area.
In September 2023, a five-member suspected Maoist group vandalised the office of the Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) at Kambamala. They reportedly destroyed a surveillance camera installed by the police in the area to monitor the movements of the proscribed group.
The Kambamala tea estate, bordering Kottiyoor and Periya forest ranges in Wayanad and Kannur districts respectively, was established in the 1970s to rehabilitate repatriates from Sri Lanka. More than 200 families stay on the estate.
