NIA has filed chargesheet against 20 CPI(Maoist) cadres

The NIA has filed chargesheet against 20 CPI (Maoist) cadres in connection with the Edakkara Maoist Case, before the NIA Special Court, Ernakulam.

The cadres have been charged under various sections of IPC, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The chargesheeted people include people from within Kerala and those hailing from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Chattisgarh under various sections of IPC, Arms Act and UA(P) Act.

The case pertains to alleged ‘conspiracy for conducting physical and arms training, conducting zonal committee meeting of Western Ghats Special Zonal Committee of the proscribed organisation CPI (Maoist) in the Nilambur forest in Malappuram in 2016 to strengthen the organisation, with the intention to commit terrorist acts, and to waging war against the Government of India’, says a press release.

The case was initially registered by Edakkara police station in Malappuram in September 2017 and was taken over by the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of Kerala Police subsequently. The NIA re-registered the case in August 2021.

An investigation conducted by the NIA established that the accused in the case were members of the proscribed organisation and had trespassed into the reserve forests of Nilambur in Malappuram, Kerala, conspired to conduct training camps and organised meetings of the zonal committee.

They also observed Commemoration Week and celebrated the formation day of CPI (Maoist), collected men and arms, conducted and participated in the arms and physical training by using prohibited arms, in order to carry out terrorist acts for furthering their activities. The further probe into the case is continuing, says the release.