THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has once again extended the deadline for submission of the magisterial inquiry report on the encounter killing of a Maoist cadre — A Velmurugan — in the Wayanad forest. The new order has set November 10 as the deadline. Velmurugan, a Tamil Nadu native, was gunned down by the Thunderbolt squad of the state police near Meenmutty in Padinjarathara police station limits in November, 2020. While Velmurugan’s family and rights activists alleged that it was a cold-blooded murder, the police maintained that the Maoist cadre died during a gunfight with the special force.
As per the procedure laid down by the Supreme Court, magisterial probe is mandatory in encounter killings. The state government had entrusted then Wayanad District Collector Adeela Abdulla to probe the incident, with a three-month deadline to file the report. Later, the government extended the probe period for another six months as per the collector’s request and set August 10 as the deadline.
However, the collector could not file the report during the prescribed time and sought further extension of the deadline. Adeela informed the government that she had recorded the statements of the police officers who took part in the operation and also visited the spot where the encounter took place. However, the statements of the family members of the slain Maoist cadre could not be recorded as they had shifted from their old residence in Theni to Madurai district and they could not be located.
The collector also informed that she was yet to examine the mahazar witnesses and sought another three-month extension of the deadline, taking into consideration the Covid scenario as well. Following this, the government set November 10 as the new deadline. There have been seven encounter killings of Maoist cadre in the state after the LDF government came to power in 2016.
Magisterial probe mandatory
Magisterial probe is mandatory in encounter killings. The state government had entrusted then Wayanad District Collector Adeela Abdulla to probe the incident, with a 3-month deadline. Later, the govt extended the probe period for another six months as per the collector’s request and set August 10 as deadline.