COIMBATORE/SIVAGANGA: Officers from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at the houses of three Maoist sympathisers in Coimbatore on Tuesday. Sources said the raids were part of operations conducted in 20 locations across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The case pertains to the celebration held to mark CPI (Maoist) formation day in the forest near Nilambur in September 2016. NIA took over the case filed by Edakkara police in September 2017.
According to Coimbatore police, who were part of the operation, searches were conducted in the house of Dinesh, a dentist in Puliyakulam, who was arrested by Kerala Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on February 4. The NIA also searched the residence of Danish alias Krishna near Sungam in Ramanathapuram. Danish was arrested in Attapadi in 2018 and charged under the UAPA Act in 13 cases in Kerala. Dinesh and Danish are jailed in Kerala.
A raid was conducted at the house of A Santhoshkumar, who is a member of the Maoist movement and has been absconding since May 2014 near Pollachi. The family members of Santhosh were interrogated a few months ago. Searches were conducted at the house of brother of Maoist suspect A Kalidoss, in Sivaganga.
NIA listed 19 accused in the case, including Danish and Santhosh of TN. Three others were killed in encounters. Digital devices recovered from the suspects’ premises, said a press release.
Swooping down for clues
Searches were carried out in Chennai, Theni, Salem, Kanniyakumari, Krishnagiri and Ramanathapuram. In neighbouring Kerala, raids were held at Kannur, Wayanad and Thrissur. In Karnataka, searches were held in five locations across Chikmagalur, Udupi and Shimoga districts