Karnataka, Kerala police to take suspected Maoist into custody

COIMBATORE: The suspected Maoist leader Roopesh would be taken to Kodagu district in Karanataka from Coimbatore central prison on Sunday in connection with a case. He would be produced before a judicial magistrate court at Ponnampet in Kodagu on Monday. Meanwhile, the Kannur district police in Kerala too obtained a prisoner transit warrant from a judicial magistrate court, which directed prison authorities to produce Roopesh before it on May 20.
Prison authorities said the Kodagu district police obtained the prisoner transit warrant from Ponnampet judicial magistrate court and the order copy was served to Coimbatore central prison authorities. As per the order, the Maoist leader Roopesh should be produced before the court on May 18 in connection with a case. Immediately he would be remanded in judicial custody. If the police approach the court for police custody of Roopesh, the court may grant it, sources said.
Two weeks ago, Maoist leader Roopesh, his wife Shyna and three other accomplices were arrested by the Q branch (rural) police in Coimbatore district and they were questioned for 10 days while in police custody. The five, including two hailing from Tamil Nadu, were accused of instigating villagers to an armed attack against authorities. Police alleged Roopesh confessed to masterminding an attack on a stone quarry at Nedumpoil in Kannur district in Kerala. He would be produced before the Kannur court on May 20 or later. The Kannur district police plan to take him into police custody for five days.
Kannur district police alleged that the five Maoists attacked New Bharat Stone crusher unit and set fire to the company’s office on January 2, 2015. The five-member Maoists squad dressed in military fatigues was involved in the attack, they said. They gang away a hard disc and damaged CCTV cameras on the campus. Following the incident, CPI (Maoist) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Meanwhile, the Wayanad police too planned to approach the courts for obtaining prisoner transit warrant against Roopesh and his accomplices. “We have 12 cases against Roopesh and his accomplices in Wayanad district. After the Kannur district police investigation, we will take the five men into custody in connection with our case,” said a senior police officer.