Four members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment this Friday for their involvement in a 2014 assault, threat, and arson attack against a senior Kerala Police officer. The sentences were handed down by a special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Roopesh, the leader of the assailants, received the longest sentence of 10 years in prison along with a fine of ₹2.35 lakh. Kanyakumari was sentenced to six years' imprisonment and a fine of ₹1.05 lakh. Both were convicted under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Two other Maoist members, Anoop and Ibrahim, were also convicted under the UAPA. Anoop will serve eight years in prison and pay a fine of ₹60,000, while Ibrahim's sentence is six years with a fine of ₹40,000.
The case stems from an April 2014 incident in which eight Maoist members, including the four convicted, conspired to attack the home of senior civil police officer A.B. Pramod. The group, armed with weapons including an AK-47 rifle, threatened Pramod with death if he continued assisting police in anti-Maoist efforts. They also set his motorcycle on fire and disseminated pamphlets promoting armed revolution against the Indian government.
The NIA, which took over the investigation in 2016, identified eight individuals involved. One of them, Ajitha alias Anu, was killed in an exchange of fire. Two others, Mahesh alias Jayanna and Sundari, remain absconding, with a ₹10 lakh reward for information leading to their apprehension.
