The Hindu : Karnataka News : Explosives unearthed from pump house

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 02, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Explosives unearthed from pump house

By Our Staff Correspondent

TUMKUR, MAY 1. The police here today unearthed a huge haul of explosives, remote control devices, and gelignite that were reportedly stored in a hideout by some members of the People's War.

The police inspectors, O.B. Kalleshappa and Sridhar, raided the hideouts around Yellamanahalli in Pavagada taluk of Tumkur district early in the day and confiscated over 30 grenades, detonators, remote control devices, and weapons. They were found in an abandoned irrigation pump house owned by Channappa of the village, the police said.

Mr. Kalleshappa and Mr. Sridhar, it is said, got a clue from the action of the Bangalore police last week in which Bhaskara Reddy and Chandra were arrested in a case of kidnapping of two executives of a mining company at Sandur in Bellary district for ransom. The inspectors interrogated the two accused in Bellary, where they were lodged, and established that the culprits had changed their names. Bhaskar Reddy was none other than Narasimha Reddy, a former leader of the People's War. Acting on clues obtained from Narasimha Reddy, Mr. Kalleshappa and Mr. Sridhar launched a search operation in Thirumani and Y.N. Hosakote police station limits for explosives, the police said.

The Superintendent of Police, P. Muniswamy, who inspected the seized explosives, later left for Bellary to conduct detailed investigation. The police have also sounded an alert in areas of the district along the border with Andhra Pradesh.

It may be recalled that the Ganapathi dalam of the People's War had expelled some its core members after they were found to have been extorting money. Narasimha Reddy is said to have raised a gang and this group, it is alleged, was engaged in kidnapping rich persons for ransom.

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