The city police on Saturday arrested two Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers who allegedly possessed Maoist strictures and circulated notices flaying the latest encounter killing of four Maoists in the Manjakkatti forests in Palakkad district.
Allan Suhail and Thaha Fazal, the suspects in the incident, were detained from Pantheerankavu on Friday night. They were later charged under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
According to the police, the two were suspected of maintaining close relationships with Maoist functionaries. They were also students of Kannur University, the police said.
Probe into arrest
Meanwhile, State police chief Lok Nath Behera directed Inspector General (North Zone) Asok Yadav to visit the Pantheerankavu police station and conduct a separate investigation into the circumstances that led to the arrest of the two under UAPA. The police chief issued the order soon after an explanation was sought by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the incident.
Flaying the police action, the parents and relatives of the two arrested had earlier met Mr. Vijayan in Kozhikode and sought his intervention to revoke the charges. They had also claimed that the two had no connection with Maoist elements and they were nabbed on the basis of false allegations.
The CPI (M) district leadership also called for a through review of the circumstances which led to the arrest of their two workers. CPI(M) District Secretary P. Mohanan said the two, if found responsible for their suspected Maoist links, would not be allowed to continue in the party.
