KOZHIKODE: The Kannur police on Sunday handed over a Maoist, who was taken into custody during a vehicle inspection on Saturday evening, to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Kannur City Police Commissioner R Ilango told reporters that the arrested is R Raghavendran hailing from Vellore in Tamil Nadu. He added that Valapattanam police intercepted a vehicle following secret information that persons with left-wing extremist background are moving through the area. "The persons travelling in the jeep refused to divulge their details. One among the three shouted the slogan 'Maoism zindabad'," the Commissioner said.
The person had two Aadhaar cards with the same photos and different names with him. "Raghavendran was questioned at the Police Club but he refused to give any details. We informed various Central agencies about the person," he said.
Raghavendran was later taken to the NIA office in Kochi. The two others -- one from Tamil Nadu and the other from Wayanad -- were let off after questioning. It is learnt that the Tamil Nadu native has been served a notice to appear before the NIA office on Monday.
Sources in the police said that the arrested Maoist has been working as the 'courier' between the Western Ghat Special Zonal Committee and the central committee of the CPI (Maoist) and was the link between the urban cadre and the armed groups.
He is an accused in the case related to the arms training inside the Nilambur forest registered by the Edakkara police in 2017. The charge is that a group of Maoists camped inside the forest in September 2016 to observe the party formation day and organised classes on using weapons and explosives.
The case is currently being investigated by the NIA. There are 19 accused in the case, including Kuppu Devaraj and Ajitha.