A group of individuals suspected to be affiliated with Maoist factions, wielding advanced weaponry, arrived at a privately owned resort located in the northern region of Kerala's Wayanad district. They took control of the mobile phone belonging to the resort's manager, with the intention of using it to send a statement to the media regarding the challenges faced by estate laborers.
This unusual incident unfolded at a resort situated in Makkimala around 6.40 pm on Wednesday, as reported by local law enforcement.
The group of six individuals, suspected to have Maoist links, was determined to acquire the mobile phone from the resort's staff. Subsequently, they instructed the manager to utilize WhatsApp to forward their statement to a select group of journalists.
Information received from a police source indicates that a total of 23 journalists spread across the state received the statement issued by the Kabani Area Committee of the CPI(Maoist). This distribution included a journalist from the Press Trust of India (PTI), who received the message on Wednesday night.
According to a state intelligence official, each of these individuals was found in possession of sophisticated weaponry, including AK-47s.
In the process of taking possession of the mobile phone belonging to the resort manager, the suspected Maoists directed him to transmit a copy of their press statement to the journalists they specified, providing contact details for these individuals.
It is important to note that this group did not issue any threats or cause any panic within the resort. After successfully delivering their message to the journalists, they left the premises.
The statement was attributed to an individual claiming to be the spokesperson for the Kabani Area Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). This statement called for collective protests by laborers to assert their rights.
In connection with this incident, a case has been registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act, according to the intelligence official.
In recent times, reports have emerged regarding the suspected presence of Maoist elements in various forest-edge communities within the northern Kerala district.
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