93-year-old former naxalite leader wins in protest against Kerala government

A 93-year-old former naxalite leader and human rights activist in Kerala has won a legal battle against the left-front government in Kerala as a local court in Kozhikode on Wednesday acquitted him in a case for staging a protest against the 'encounter killings' of two Naxalites at Nilambur in Malappuram district in 2016.

Ayinoor Vasu, popularly known as GROW Vasu, had put the left-front government and police in a tight spot as he declined the bail awarded to him by the court in July as a mark of protest against the state government for the encounter killings. Vasu also shouted slogans against the government when he was produced before the court during the hearing. Though Vasu's plight was raised by the opposition Congress with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he did not respond to it.

Vasu was arrested by the police on July 29 in the seven year old case as part of executing long pending warrants. Vasu stood firm on his stand that he did not commit any unlawful act, but only protested against the 'encounter killing'.

He declined the suggestions to get rid of the case by admitting the offence and paying a fine. Hence, he was kept in the prison over the last one and a half month. Vasu was acquitted by the court citing lack of evidence.

After being released from jail, Vasu told reporters that eight persons were killed in "fake encounters" after the Communist government led by Pinarayi Vijayan came to power and he was protesting that.

CPI(Maoist) leader Kuppusamy alias Kuppu Devaraj and Ajita alias Kaveri were killed in an encounter in the forest areas of Nilambur in Malappuram on November 24, 2016. Vasu participated in a protest by a group of rights activists when the bodies of the two were brought to the mortuary of Kozhikode medical college. Some other accused in the case earlier admitted the offence and paid a fine.

Vasu was actively involved in Naxalite movements in the 1960s and had undergone imprisonment. It was due to his association with Gwalior Rayons Workers' Organisation that Vasu came to be known as GROW Vasu.