Two suspected Maoists accused of destroying cameras in Upper Bhavani brought to Ooty

Two suspected Maoists who allegedly destroyed cameras installed by the Forest Department near Upper Bhavani were produced before the district magistrate on Friday.

Police escorted ‘Maoist’ Soman to the District Court in Udhagamandalam on Friday. | Photo Credit: SATHYAMOORTHY M

The accused, identified as Soman alias Akbar and Santhosh alias Ravi, were among the four persons, part of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), accused of destroying cameras installed in the Upper Bhavani district by the Forest Department in 2017. The other two accused in the case, Vikram Gowda and Manivasakan, were killed in police encounters in Kerala and Manivasakan. Karnataka in the intervening years.

Soman and Santhosh were also charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, as well as theft, trespassing, destruction of public property and criminal intimidation by the Manjoor police. While being brought before the court, Soman shouted slogans stating that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MKStalin had no right to speak against fascism after he refused to criticize the government for using the UAPA Act to keep political prisoners in indefinite detention.

They were brought from Thrissur Central Jail and produced before District Judge N. Muralidharan in connection with the case. The judge postponed the next hearing of the case to November 6.