Govt employee held over suspected Maoist links in Kochi

Kochi: An employee at the state Insurance Department has been taken into custody by the Police here for suspected Maoist links.

Confirming the arrest of Jason Cooper Friday morning, the police said the they were examining if he had any links with the Thursday’s attack on the office of National Highway Authority of India at near Kalamassery.

Pro-Maoist leaflets have reportedly been seized by the police from Cooper.

The police had earlier taken him into custody for questioning in connection with the attack at the office of Nitta Gelatin India Ltd. at Panampilly Nagar November last.

In the attack at NHAI office, the vandals pulled files out of the shelves onto the floor and set fire to a few of them.

The attackers left pamphlets protesting against the acquisition of land for National Highway expansion and privatisation of the agency’s works.

The pamphlets claimed that the attack was carried out by the CPI (Maoist). ‘CPI (Maoist)’ was also scrawled in black letters on the walls of the office.