A large posse of police, including sleuths from Q Branch, had cordoned off the municipal cremation ground at Periyakulam, where the body of Maoist Velmurugan was cremated.
Even as the body was brought here under tight security by Tamil Nadu Police, CPI (Maoists) cadre staged a demonstration near the cremation ground against the Central and Kerala governments. Velmurugan was said to be an expert in handling weapons and was a member of Kabanidalam-2 of Western Ghats Special Zone Committee. A senior police officer said Velmurugan, aged about 35, hailed from E. Pudukottai near Periyakulam in Theni district.
He was caught in Murugamalai forests along with six others in 2007. A local court in Periyakulam had sent them to judicial custody. Velmurugan and five others were granted bail in 2010.
While a few of them sneaked into Vadakavunchi forests in Kodaikanal Upper Hills, the others headed for Wayanad forests.
Velmurugan and three others had not been traceable in Tamil Nadu for the last 10 years. Now and then, the police received inputs about their movements in interior forests of Kerala and Karnataka, but they were not clear.
Two days ago, Kerala police received specific inputs about the movement of six Maoists in Bappanna Mala tribal hamlet in South Wayanad Forest Region. The State police commandos, Thunderbolt team, conducted an operation. According to the officer, an “exchange” of fire ensued between them and it continued for about 30 minutes, in which Maoist Velmurugan was killed. After identification, the body was shifted to Kozhikode Government Hospital.
The family members of Velmurugan were taken to the hospital and after they identified his body, a post-mortem was conducted.
Amid tight security, the body was brought to Periyakulam and cremated. Two DSPs and a large number of police personnel had been posted there, the officer said, adding the cremation was over in the early hours of Thursday.
