Synopsis
In a significant operation, the Tamil Nadu Q-Branch police have arrested Karthik alias Chinna Karthik, a long-wanted member of the banned CPI (Maoist) organization, in Chennai. His capture is seen as a critical strike against ongoing Maoist activities in the region.Key Takeaways
- Karthik had been evading law enforcement since 2011.
- He received arms training in Kerala.
- The CPI (Maoist) remains active in the Western Ghats.
- Significant arrests have weakened the Maoist organization.
- Karthik's arrest disrupts Maoist operations further.
Chennai, Feb 22 (NationPress) The elite Q-Branch police of Tamil Nadu have captured a long-evading member of the prohibited CPI (Maoist) organization, sought by various states and intelligence entities.
The suspect, known as Karthik alias Chinna Karthik, hails from the Theni district and has been linked to multiple criminal cases.
As reported by sources within the Tamil Nadu Police, Karthik was detained in Chennai following intelligence gathered from both state and central agencies. He had been on the run since 2011, eluding law enforcement after his participation in numerous illegal activities. Police documentation indicates that Karthik received arms training in the forests of Kerala, enhancing efforts to reinforce the Maoist influence in the tri-junction area of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu (KKT).
He was also previously charged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Kochi for his involvement.
The CPI (Maoist), despite enduring considerable challenges from arrests and police confrontations, continues to operate in the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats Special Zonal Committee of the Maoists was established in 2011, encompassing regions of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. It became the fourth key ‘Guerrilla Zone’ in India, alongside the North Telangana, Dandakaranya, and Andhra-Odisha border special zonal committees. The organization gained traction in 2014 following a merger with CPI-ML (Naxalbari), a splinter Maoist faction from Kerala. In the same year, the Maoists executed a Political-Military Campaign (PMC), targeting 10 locations to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the party’s inception.
The first significant setback for the Maoists in the Western Ghats occurred in May 2015 when senior leader Roopesh was captured in Coimbatore. Later that year, central committee member Kuppu Devaraj, responsible for coordinating activities in the region, was killed in an encounter in Nilambur. In subsequent operations, numerous other high-ranking leaders and members were either arrested or killed.
In May 2015, Maoist central committee member Murali Kannamballi was captured in Pune while four Maoists -- Manivasakam, Rema, Karthi, and Aravind -- were shot by police at Manjakkandi near the Palakkad border, Kerala. Deepak, a Maoist leader from Dandakaranya allegedly involved in military training for members in the Western Ghats, was apprehended in Coimbatore. In March 2019, Maoist leader C.P. Jaleel was killed during a confrontation at a resort in Wayanad, while in November 2020, another member, Velmurugan, was fatally shot. In November 2023, Kavitha, a member of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), sustained severe injuries in a police encounter in Kannur and later passed away from her injuries.
Several senior Maoist leaders -- including Rajan Chittilappilli, T.K. Rajeevan, Gautam alias Raghavendra, C.P. Usman, B.G. Krishnamurthy, and Sanjay Deepak Rao -- were subsequently arrested, significantly undermining the party’s operations in the Western Ghats. At its peak, the CPI (Maoist) maintained three armed squads (dalam) -- Kabani, Nadukani, and Bhavani -- in the region.
Law enforcement agencies view Karthik’s arrest as yet another substantial blow to the Maoist movement in the area, further hindering their activities in the Western Ghats.
