Ker govt not considering judicial probe into killing of

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday ruled out a judicial inquiry for now into the recent killing of four Maoists in an alleged encounter and said a magisterial probe was on to look into the lapses on behalf of police, if any.

Speaking in the state assembly, he stuck to his earlier stand that the police opened fire only after Maoists attacked them.

"We are not considering judicial probe at this point of time," Vijayan told the House in reply to a question.

He said the agenda of the Maoists was to destroy democratic institutions and create unrest.

"Police fired back in self-defence. The Maoists were obstructing the duty of the police. We are looking into allegations about the lapses on behalf of the police. A magisterial inquiry is on," Vijayan said.

Four Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire during a two-day police combing operations in Attapady in Palakkad district that started on October 28.

The Opposition had alleged that the Left government has been killing Maoists instead of capturing them alive.

Since 2016, when the LDF government came to power in the state, a total of seven Maoists have been killed.

The police have already tightened security for the Chief Minister after four suspected Maoists were killed in an alleged encounter with Kerala's specialised Thunderbolt police in a forest area near Attapady.