Family of slain Maoist raises suspicions over numerous bullet wounds on the body

Velmurugan, a native of Periyakulam in Tamil Nadu's Theni district, was killed by Kerala police’s Thunderbolt squad in an encounter on Tuesday.
Mother of slain Maoist
Mother of slain Maoist
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The family of suspected Maoist A Velmurugan, who was shot dead on Tuesday, has raised suspicion over the numerous bullet injuries on the man’s body. Velmurugans brother, A Murugan after identifying his brother’s body on Wednesday, told media that the family had filed a complaint with the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court raising suspicion that Velmurugan was shot in close range. Velmurugan's family arrived from Periyakulam in Theni of Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to media, Murugan said the police initially showed only his brother's face and that the extent of the bullet injures was not conveyed to the family. Velmurugan's mother and a few of his relatives reached Kozhikode on Wednesday evening where they identified his body. Others who have been asking to see the body of the deceased will be permitted only after the postmortem, the police said. The permission to see the body was granted by Wayanad District Collector Adeela Abdulla.

Velmurugan, a native of Periyakulam in Tamil Nadu's Theni district, was killed by the Thunderbolt Squad of the Kerala police in an encounter on Tuesday. The encounter took place near Kattikulam, which falls within the Padinjarathara police station limits in Wayanad. The postmortem will be done only after the family sees the body at Kozhikode Medical College hospital. Police had stated that there was a six-member Maoist group and that they were on the lookout for the other five members in the team.

The family had contacted the Collector and had sought permission to see and identify Velmurugan's body. Also, the ballistic reports, which will reveal more information on the encounter, are currently awaited.

Several activists as well as the opposition have alleged that it was a fake encounter by the Kerala police.

Meanwhile, a few Kozhikode District Congress Committee members who visited the Kozhikode Medical college to see the body of Velmurugan were blocked by the police. This was followed by a group of workers, under the leadership of T Siddique, vice president Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), staging a sit-in protest outside the hospital. Siddique was forcibly removed by the police while trying to visit the hospital.

Though Congress MP MK Raghavan also reached the spot, police did not allow them to go inside the hospital. Police said that they have instructions only to allow the family of Velmurugan to see the body.

It was also informed that everyone can see the body after postmortem. Congress leaders have said that they would return after the postmortem. Siddique told the media that he visited the hospital not because he supports Maoists but to see the deceased. Congress has alleged that the encounter was fake and that the police indulged in cruelty.

Police had claimed that Velmurigan was a wanted Maoist in Tamil Nadu. They also claimed that they did the encounter after the Maoist team opened fire.

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