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Police constable, three suspected naxalites killed in exchange of fire

— Photo: PTI

Ambushed: Police examining the body of one of the suspected naxalites killed in Chikmagalur district on Wednesday.

CHIKMAGALUR: Three suspected naxalites and a police constable were killed in an exchange of fire in a forest near Mavinahola in Mudigere taluk in the early hours of Wednesday.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravi Narayan of the Anti-Naxal Force ambushed the Maoists who were reportedly on their way to Menasinahadya from Muthinakadave Gudda. A bag found at the site contained women’s clothes and another bag contained groceries. Police also recovered a grenade and a revolver.

The three persons killed have been identified as G. Manohar from Shimoga district, Naveen from Raichur district and Abhishek from Banakal in Mudigere taluk in Chikmagalur district. Police suspect that the fourth person, who escaped, could be a woman called Kanyakumari. The police constable who was killed is Guruprasad attached to the Karnataka State Reserve Police in Madikeri.

An alert has been sounded in the neighbouring districts of Udupi and Shimoga and vehicles crossing the district borders are being checked. Senior police officers, including Srikumar, Director-General and Inspector-General of Police; Jyoti Prakash Mirji, Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence); and A.M. Prasad, Inspector-General of Police (Western Range), visited the spot.

Mr. Srikumar told presspersons that compensation would be paid to the family of the police constable. He added that combing operations, with the help of local people, would continue.

The body of Guruprasad was taken to Karkala where State honours were accorded. The bodies of the naxalites were taken to the mortuary at the general hospital in Chikmagalur.

Shimoga Special Correspondent writes:

Suspected naxalite Manohar,worked as a reporter with the local Kannada daily “Echharike” for nearly three years. However, he was last seen by his colleagues on September 26, 2007.

Hailing from Anavatti hobli in Sorab taluk, Manohar was actively involved in left-wing activities even while studying in Shimoga. Later, he shifted to Raichur. He spent nearly four years in jail in Raichur for his involvement in the naxal movement.

Editor of “Echharike” Satish said that Manohar returned to Shimoga after he was released from jail in 2004 and joined the newspaper. He said that he published his “memoirs” of his days in jail in the newspaper under the title “Jail Ki Kahani”, which he wanted to bring out in book form. Mr. Satish said that Manohar had good command over Telugu and Hindi.

Mr. Satish said that Manohar never let it be known that he was an activist in the naxal movement. “He was so serious and committed to his work that no one suspected that he was a naxalite,” he said.

Mr. Satish said that the police kept a close watch on Manohar’s movements as long as he was in Shimoga. “But his whereabouts were not known since September 26 last year,” he said.

Udupi Staff Correspondent reports:

Additional Superintendent of Police M.N. Nagaraj said on Wednesday that combing operations had been intensified in the naxal-affected areas of Udupi district and the police were on high alert.

Mr. Nagaraj told The Hindu that combing operations had been intensified in Hebri, Shankarnarayana, Kollur, and Karkala police station limits as the naxal-affected areas fall under the jurisdiction of these police stations. The body of the police constable Guruprasad had been brought to the ANF camp in Karkala. After paying last respects and according him the guard of honour, the body would be taken to Kundacheri village near Bhagamandala in Kodagu district, from where Guruprasad hailed, he said.

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