KOCHI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) has interrogated two suspected members of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the banned CPI (Maoist), in connection with the attack on the Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) office in Wayanad in September 2023.
The two accused—Santhosh Kumar A alias Raja of Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, and H S Ravindra alias Manojage of Sringeri, Karnataka—were taken into NIA custody for five days. Santhosh was arrested by the Kerala Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from Tamil Nadu last year, while Ravindra had surrendered to police in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, in January this year. “During the investigation, evidence of their involvement in the Wayanad attack was established. The NIA Court in Kochi granted custody of the accused for five days. They were later produced in court and remanded in judicial custody,” sources said.
According to the NIA, both Santhosh and Ravindra are senior members of the Kabani Dalam, a local guerrilla unit of the PLGA operating in Wayanad. They were reportedly involved in planning and executing extremist activities aimed at destabilising government institutions. The attack on the KFDC office was part of a broader anti-national strategy, the agency said.
NIA also questioned the duo regarding the operations of Maoist groups across South Indian states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. A supplementary chargesheet against the two is expected soon.
Last month, NIA had filed a chargesheet against three others—C P Moideen, Manoj P M, and P K Soman, all residents of Wayanad. On September 28, 2023, a five-member armed group stormed the KFDC office, restrained the manager, and vandalised furniture and equipment with iron rods. They later raised Maoist slogans and pasted posters at the site. All accused in the case have been apprehended by various law enforcement agencies.