After a year’s lull, Maoists strike Karnataka again; constable killed

After lying low for a year, Maoists have struck again in Karnataka. A constable of the Anti Naxal Force (ANF) was killed in a gunbattle with the Maoists in the forests of Western Ghats, about 90 km from Mangalore, in the early hours of Sunday.

Mahadev Mane (40) was part of the team combing the Manjalkadu forest in Savanalu village in Belthangady taluk on Saturday afternoon. The combing party had over 45 constables from the ANF team in Manjalkadu forest; a few other teams were carrying out combing operations few hundred meters away.

“Around 11.20 pm on Saturday, we encountered a group of Maoists who were camping in Manjalkadu forests. Upon seeing us, they started firing at us; we returned the fire. The exchange lasted a few minutes,” said a constable. “As the Maoists escaped, we saw Mahadev lying motionless some distance away: he was dead.”

During the exchange of fire, Mahadev managed to fire a few shots — there were empty slots in the magazine of the gun — but, his gun got jammed mid-way during the gun-battle, rendering him defenceless against the Maoist firing.

The automatic gun, Vijay, which the ANF uses, is rated high for its accuracy and speed. The guns are used by the Indian Army also, said an ANF officer.

Maoist commander Saket Rajan also had suffered a similar fate when in 2005, during an encounter with the police in Manasinahadya in Chikmagalur, he was killed as his AK 47 got jammed.

Reacting to the incident, state home minister R Ashoka said outside elements were involved in the incident. “The Maoists involved in the encounter are suspected to be from Tamil Nadu.

The combing operations in the area have been intensified and the Maoists responsible for the death of the constable will be nabbed soon,” he said.

Chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda, meanwhile, instructed the police department to go full blast against Maoists. He asked the ANF chief and top district police officials to camp in the area where the encounter took place and neutralise the menace.

“I have already discussed the matter with top police officers and Dakshina Kannada district administration. I have assured complete assistance from the state government for the police and the civil administration to end Maoist menace. The combing operation will go on till the culprits are nabbed,” Gowda said.