Making the presence of Maoists more apparent in the forests of the state, an excavator of a quarry-cum-crusher unit at Chooranimala in Kavilumpara panchayat within the limits of Thottipalam police station in rural Kozhikode, bordering Wayanad district, was set afire allegedly by Maoists in the wee hours of Sunday demanding protection of Western Ghats.
Police discovered posters and literature of Communist Party of India (Maoists) along with copies of their new bulletin ‘Kattuthee’ (forest fire) from the spot. Preliminary probe reveals that the incident is the handiwork of Maoists.
The pamphlets are similar to the ones distributed by members of the Western Ghats Special Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist), police said.