KOCHI: Eight Maoists have been killed in police encounters in Kerala since the LDF government assumed power in 2016. Though the Kerala Police claim that each encounter was in retaliation to Maoist firing, human rights organisations and a forensic report in one such encounter had a different tale to tell, casting doubts on the police operations. In two incidents – at Lakkidi in Wayanad on March 6, 2019 and at Manjikandi in Attappadi on October 28, 2019 — there were allegations that the encounters were fake. In Lakkidi encounter in which CPI (Maoist) member C P Jaleel was killed in a shootout, his family raised allegations right from the beginning that it was a fake encounter.
Nearly a year after, the allegations found credence with a forensic report denying the police claim that Jaleel opened fire at Kerala Thunderbolts commandos which resulted in retaliatory fire that killed Jaleel, who was shot on the head and shoulder while his accomplice escaped. Jaleel’s brother C P Rasheed said the forensic and ballistic reports contradict the police version.
“The swab samples collected from the right hand of Jaleel could not find any gunshot residues and the report stated that metal lead residues were found from swab samples from his left hand. Though the police claimed that shots were fired from the guns in possession of Jaleel, the forensic team couldn’t recover any bullets other than the ones used by police for firing,” Rasheed said. Even the magisterial inquiry into the encounter, which gave police a clean chit, failed to look into the forensic report. The inquiry only went with the police version.
“We have decided to move the court against the inquiry report submitted to the District and Sessions Court in Kalpetta. The family has also decided to launch an indefinite hunger strike in front of the collectorate demanding a fresh inquiry into the encounter,” he added. George Pulikuthiyil, executive director of Jananeethi, a human rights watchdog, said after the Manjikandi enounter, their team did an in-depth study on the encounter spending days in Attappadi and talking to tribals.
“We prepared a report based on the study and submitted it to the authorities concerned. Our findings were that the Manjikandi encounter was fake as the Maoist cadre were ready to surrender and they had communicated this to the district police,” he added.