Maoist Sinoj dies in explosion in Kerala
Senior cadre Sinoj alias Rajan died in the forests of Wayanad on June 16, according to Kattu Thee, a clandestine publication of the outfit.
The banned CPI (Maoist), which is trying to get a foothold in Kerala, has received a major jolt with one of its senior members succumbing to injuries suffered while handling explosive materials.
Senior cadre Sinoj alias Rajan died in the forests of Wayanad on June 16, according to Kattu Thee, a clandestine publication of the outfit.
Sinoj, one of the nine persons in the first lookout notice issued against the Maoists in Kerala by security forces, was a member of the armed Maoist guerrilla group of the Western Ghats Special Zone Committee of the banned CPI (Maoist). He was the in-charge of the political wing of the Kabani Dalam operating in Kerala. Jogi, spokesperson of Western Ghats Special Zone Committee, confirmed the incident in Kattu Thee.
Sinoj died on the spot and his body was blown apart on June 16 around 10 in the morning. The bulletin described Sinoj as a role model of revolution. "Due to the hostile climatic conditions we were unable to bring the body to his family members. The body was cremated in the forest in full party honours," the bulletin regretted.
Sinoj, a native of Pathankallu near Thalikkulam in Thrissur district, left studies and became an activist of the Maoist outfit in Kerala in the 1990s. He was associated with CPI-ML (Naxalbari) but shifted his loyalty to the former People's War Group. When PWG merged with MCCI to form CPI (Maoist) Sinoj also became part of the new outfit.
He was one of the first persons from Kerala to be provided with armed training by the CPI (Maoist) and actively associated with armed squads of the outfit in Karnataka. But the police is yet to confirm the death. The police officials told the media that it would confirm the death only after a detailed investigation. They are afraid that the news is given for manipulating the police.
The Maoists suffered a similar setback 46 years ago in the state when Kisan Thomman, one of the members in the guerrilla group headed by A. Varghese died when the bag with bombs exploded. It was on November 26 in 1968. The incident took place near Tirunelly when the group was on its way to attack a police station at Pulpally.