Kalpeta : The arrests of senior leaders BJ Krishnamurthy and Savithri will quake pillars of Maoist activities in Kerala. Krishnamurthy is head of the outfit’s guerrilla force in Kerala and also Secretary of Western Ghats Special Zonal Committee. He is the most senior leader so far to have been captured by Kerala police. The pair were arrested from Madhuri in Karnataka’s Mandhya district.
It is a proud feat for the police to have nabbed these leaders without an encounter. The State Anti-terrorist squad made its arrest with help from anti-maoist squad helmed by the Wayanad police chief. The police calculate that arrest of Krishnamurthy will now more or less immobilise maoist activity in the state.
Savitri is commander of Kabani Dalam that focuses maoist activity in regions across Wayanad, Kozhikode and Kannur. Central Committee member Kappa Devaraj was killed in police encounter of 2016 in Nilambur forests and Krishnamurthy replaced him in the hierarchy. Following deaths of Kappa Devaraj and Manivasakunj in 2019, activities of Bhavani Dalam and Nadukani Dalam operating in Malappuram-Palakkad ground to a halt. Then on, Krishnamurthy focused his operations across Wayanad, Kozhikode and Kannur through Dalams of Banasura and Kabani, of which, Banasura is a recently set up wing.
Krishnamurthy is wanted in a case booked by Pokuthakall police station for conducting maoist campaign in Vaniambuzha Adivasi Colony. There is also case pending against him at karikottakuri station for conducted armed demonstrations in Thirunelli and Kannur. Savitir, the commander of Kabani Dalam, has 17 cases racked against her, in connection with carrying out armed demonstrations in Kotiyoor, Ambayathode and Kannur.
Raghuvendra whom the police recently nabbed from Kannor’s Chavil beach, was invaluable to the outfit for his expertise in repairs of communication vehicles, phones and weapons. Ramu aka Lijesh from Pullpalli in Amarkani had surrendered to police last month-end. Police estimate there now remain 30 members active under leaderships of Vikram Gauda, Sanjay Deepak Rao, Jayanna, CP Moidin and Soman. They include Sundari, Wayanad Tavinjal native Jisha, Kavita and Unnimaya. Jayanna and Sundari carry a NIA-announced bounty of Rs 10 lakh to their head.
