KALPETTA: Traffic along the NH which connects Kozhikode and Mysore was temporarily blocked as the encounter continued for long. The police, who had directed the residents to stay indoors, beefed up security at other hotels and resorts in the locality. A high-level meeting of officers was held at Kalpetta on Thursday morning to evaluate the situation. The resort area has been cordoned off and a heavy contingent of police has been deployed.
A native of Pandikkad in Malappuram, Jaleel was the younger brother of Maoist leader C P Moideen. His body was recovered from near the resort itself, the police said. The police and Thunderbolt units have been put on high alert following frequent Maoist sightings in Thalapuzha, Sugandhagiri, Vythiri, Meppadi, Settukunnu and Amba in Wayanad and Thamarassery, Kodencheri and Thiruvambady in rural Kozhikode in recent months.
The Maoists used to approach secluded houses for food and money and distributed pamphlets and pasted posters in villages. They had come out in the open organising public meetings and taking out marches at various places in Wayanad district. A police outpost functioning round the clock was recently opened at Sugandhagiri to keep a tab on Maoist activities.
The Maoists suffered a setback after the killing of two of their senior leaders, Kuppu Devaraj and Ajitha, during an encounter in Karulai forest at Nilambur in Malappuram in November, 2016. Ever since, they have been trying to highlight their presence in the region. There were reports an eight-member squad was formed to ‘avenge’ the two leaders’ deaths.