Seven Maoists, including a woman, had visited the Punchakolli tribal colony on Sunday night and spent some time with the people there and left the place, police said. Later, the locals found posters pasted on the walls of an anganwadi in the colony stating "Maoist leaders Kuppu Devaraj and Ajitha were shot dead in violation of human rights."
"Some betrayers revealed the indentity of the leaders to police. The killers will be punished and we will not forgive the betrayers".
"They used to move around places in the forests from Wayanad to Nilambur and forest areas bordering the neighbouring states", he said.
The CPI(Maoist) reportedly observes "martyrs week" in the region from July 28 to August 3 as part of the 50th anniversary of the naxal movement in the country, police said. Kuppuswamy Devaraj (65) and Ajitha (45) were killed in an alleged encounter with the police in Nilambur forests on November 24, 2016.