Two individuals, believed to be Maoists, recently appeared before the district judge in Ooty. They are accused of vandalizing surveillance cameras belonging to the Forest Department in the pristine Upper Bhavani area.
The individuals, identified as Soman alias Akbar and Santhosh alias Ravi, are implicated in a 2017 incident where cameras installed by the Forest Department in the Upper Bhavani area were destroyed. They were allegedly members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). Two other suspects in the case, Vikram Gowda and Manivasakan, were killed in police encounters in Kerala and Karnataka in the years that followed.
Soman and Santhosh now face a range of charges filed by the Manjoor police, including sections under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), along with accusations of theft, criminal trespass, damage to public property, and criminal intimidation. During their appearance, Soman loudly protested, asserting that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin lacked the moral authority to speak against fascism while simultaneously refusing to condemn the government’s use of the UAPA Act for the indefinite detention of political prisoners.
Both men were transported from Thrissur Central Prison specifically for this court appearance before District Judge N. Muralidharan. The judge has scheduled the next hearing for November 6.