Arali: With three Maoists dying in a police shootout on Monday, the hotly debated Maoist threat in the area has taken a new dimension.
The presence of Maoist in the area was first confirmed following the gutting of a camp shed of forest department by the Maoists in 2015.
Following this, the office building of Silent Valley National Park was attacked in 2016. Police started monitoring the area after Maoists began distributing pamphlets, alongside conducting classes, in the adivasi neighbourhoods. Soon, Thunderbolt, the special task force for taking on Maoists, was deployed in the area.
Despite combing the area, the force couldn’t garner more lowdown on Maoist and their movements. Meanwhile, police accused the Maoist as behind the mysterious death of Benny, a Photographer based in Mukali. But his relatives came out alleging police lapse in the murder citing conspiracy behind the disappearance of bullets from the area.
Meanwhile, posters supporting Maoists began appearing in Agali and many parts of Attpadi.
Only days ago, Attapadi Block Congress President Shibu Cyriac in a Facebook post said Adivasis complaining of the thunderbolt as threatening them disturbing peaceful life.
Even after Nilambur and Wayanad shootouts, Maoist presence in Attapadi has become a headache to the police as they were unable to find any leads.
The Monday shootout took place on a forestland close to Malliswaranmudi, an area part of Silent Valley buffer zone.
Maoists used to intimidate Adivasis and collect food before returning to their hideout in the forest stretching to Karnataka.