India - news about Kerala police's operations against people in forests

Police conduct combing operations in forests bordering Kerala
Armed police personnel were involved in intensive vehicle check at Mangarai Checkpost, near Anaikatty. They stopped and searched vehicles that were entering and leaving Kerala. In addition to the local police, Tamil Nadu Special Police personnel were also involved in conducting combing operations in the forests close to Kerala. The combing operation was conducted with the help of Forest Department personnel. This was among the measures that came to effect from the late hours of Sunday, after a few rounds of firing between Maoists and the Police at Silent Valley in Palakkad, on Sunday evening.
The Naxal Special Division (NSD) conducted combing operation at Veppamarathur tribal hamlet in Periyanaickenpalayam Forest Range, near Pilloor Dam. The 12-member team led by Sub-Inspector of Police M.S. Madasamy said the team would camp inside the forests for a period of three days and would conduct combing operations in the area as well as other parts of the Western Ghats. The team spoke to people living in tribal hamlets and briefed them about incidents of violence in Kerala. They also asked people to pass on any information they received on the movement of strangers to NSD personnel.

Velusamy of Veppamarathur said that they were given a list of phone numbers of police personnel and officers to inform them about the movement of strangers in the forests. NSD that was formed earlier this year (following attack on the forest range office in Palakkad last December) has been given special training in preparation to face any sudden unforeseen event, collecting information on topography of the land and also move from one place to the other without getting noticed. The unit is provided with arms and ammunition to tackle situations of emergency such as counter attacks.

Village heads asked to report strangers
Coimbatore: Naxal Special Division (NSD) police from Coimbatore have landed along the border villages after the incident to smoke out the Maoists who are suspected to be hiding in the forests. They commenced combing operation at Veppamarathur, a tribal hamlet near Mulli forest check post and surrounding areas in the Western Ghats. There are about 15 tribal villages along Tamil Nadu – Kerala border near Ambalapara. The search is on in all the villages. Forest officials said they have restricted the movement of the villagers for work, but the village heads have been asked to report strangers.
Security at all the border check posts has been strengthened by armed reserve police in the district. Following the incident, Coimbatore rural police have strengthened the security in the Tamil Nadu -Kerala border check posts on Sunday night. Five armed reserve police men were deployed round the clock in the check post and all vehicles travelling from Kerala to Coimbatore are being frisked thoroughly. The armed reserve police are also checking the passengers and their baggage inside inter state buses.
Most trucks were stopped at the check posts and goods were checked. Meanwhile, NSD team led by sub-inspector M S Madasamy who was earlier working with the Special Task Force (STF) at Sathyamangalam for 13 years has also been pressed into service.
Combing on in Mannarkkad forests
Two of the Maoist suspects were women carrying guns, say Kerala police
The wireless set and bullets police claimed to have recovered from the site of an encounter with suspected Maoists inside the Mannarkkad forests on Sunday night.— Photo: Special Arrangement The police conducted massive combing operations in Thiruminthamkunnu and Silent Valley forest areas bordering Mannarkkad in Kerala on Monday to trace four suspected Maoists who they claimed opened fire on the police on Sunday evening. Agali circle inspector K.J. Devasia, who led the combing operations, said a defunct wireless set and four bullets were recovered from the spot of firing.

About 60 police officers, including the special squad Thunderbolt trained in anti-Maoist activities, were engaged in the operations. But no one was spotted so far. The police said two of the suspects were gun-carrying women and the group allegedly bought food items by paying Rs. 300 to local tribal people. Meanwhile, the police searched all major hospitals in Palakkad and Coimbatore districts for Maoists possibly injured in the exchange of firPolice focus on intelligence-gathering along Kerala border
With Coimbatore having close to 39 roads leading to Kerala, which recently witnessed attacks by naxals, Tamil Nadu police are focusing on improving their relationship with those living in remote hamlets along the border for getting real-time intelligence inputs, according to sources. Stepping up cordial relationship with tribal people and intelligence-gathering on a real-time basis in addition to fortification of the border is one of the proactive measures that the police in West Zone believe in preventing infiltration of Maoists into the State.
While police sources said there were 39 paths, including main roads and village roads that connect Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu with Palakkad district in Kerala, Inspector General of Police (IG) for West Zone K. Shankar said it would not be possible to deploy police personnel for monitoring movement of people on all these paths. However, there are check posts that keep tab on people’s movements. “We have strengthened our intelligence-gathering mechanism so that movement of strangers reached us on a real time basis,” he told The Hindu .
Some of the outreach programmes conducted towards this initiative included improved community policing, organising grievance redressal meetings for the people of those hamlets and initiating steps to redress their grievances through the district administration. The IG said that 60 tribal youth were recruited as Home Guards five months ago and 30 each were deployed in Coimbatore and the Nilgiris. After training now they are assisting the police in various aspects of policing – including intelligence-gathering – during the last three months. “Police in these two districts will also organise sports tournaments for tribal youth in December and January to strengthen their ties with the villagers,” he said.
Strengthening stations
Police are also increasing manpower and sprucing up facilities in police stations close to the border. Mr. Shankar said ten stations in The Nilgiris and six in Coimbatore district are close to the border. Most of these stations have a sanctioned strength of 30 personnel. But the available strength at these stations was much less till the end of 2014. After the Maoist attack on a forest range office in Kerala (last December), 20 per cent of the vacancies were filled up. Ninety personnel from the Tamil Nadu Special Police (TSP) have been deployed to make up the shortage earlier this year.
“With these measures, the stations have about 80 per cent of the sanctioned strength,” the IG said and added that they have also sent a proposal seeking an additional police station in Coimbatore district to improve vigil on the border. Construction of compound walls is under way at the border police stations, Mr. Shankar added. They are improving relationship with those living in remote villagese.