Ajay Kanth By

Express News Service

KOZHIKODE: Lynching of tribal youth Madhu has not only evoked massive protests in Kerala but also resulted in a big security scenario with intelligence agencies analysing that CPI (Maoists) has taken up the issue in a big way to connect with the tribal people and marginalised sections in Kerala.

Top police officers have started to evaluate the situation as inputs point out that the Maoists have decided to launch a series of campaign condemning Madhu’s murder. “Already, there has been an unrest after the encounter killings of two Maoist leaders in Nilambur. Now the brutal lynching incident has given them an opportunity to rake up an issue among the tribal people and other marginalised sections,” said a senior police officer.“It’s certain that they will take up the incident to intensify their cause. But we are yet to get clear leads on their action plan,” the officer said.

Malappuram district police chief Debesh Kumar Behera said the police were evaluating the situation very closely and have taken all necessary measures to strengthen vigilance.As per the intelligence wing, the CPI (Maoist) has formed a new unit in Kerala under leadership of a leader identified as Ashok Kumar to carry out special operations mainly to counter the police following the alleged encounter killing of Maoist leaders Kuppu Devaraj and Ajitha in Nilambur forest. Officers confirmed that the new unit called ‘Varahini Dalam’ was activated under the leadership of Ashok Kumar.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has passed on certain details about the members who have been made part of the new unit in Kerala.Police have put Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad and Kozhikode districts under alert. Police higher-ups have been conducting a series of meetings in the last two days to evolve strategies to counter the possible campaign of the Maoists in tribal belts in the state after the lynching incident.

Forest areas and tribal hamlets in Palakkad and Wayanad have been put under thorough surveillance.