Naxals strike at village in Shimoga

A group of suspected naxalites struck at four isolated houses near Hosagatte village in Karnataka’s Shimoga district and made away with cash and gold ornaments, besides a gun.

The armed naxalites, who took away a total of Rs 85,000 in cash, gold ornaments weighing 500 grams and a gun, told the occupants of the houses that they were looting them to pay compensation to the families of the victims killed in the recent police encounter at Menasinahadya in neighbouring Chikmagalur district.

Police said about ten naxalites, including three women, first stormed the house of Nagesh, a private bus owner-cum contractor in Hosagatte in the early hours of Sunday and looted Rs 55,000 in cash, a gun and gold ornaments at gun-point. The naxalites, who were wearing hoods, told Nagesh that he had amassed a lot of wealth by executing poor quality of Government work in the village.

Next, the naxalites attacked the house of Nagesh’s brother Satish and snatched 23 grams of gold. They continued their looting spree by attacking the houses of Shankarappa Gouda and Umesh Gouda in the vicinity from where they took away all the valuables they could lay their hands on.

Police said the naxalites had come in two vehicles and had fired two rounds in the air when their first victim Satish refused to oblige to their call to open the door in the middle of the night.

Before fleeing, the naxalites told their victims that the cash and valuables robbed from them would be given as compensation to the children of Rame Gowda and his Kaveramma, who were killed in the recent police encounter.

The naxalites warned Satish against having an association with local BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra as the latter was on their “hit-list”. Pamphlets glorifying the struggle of naxalites in the region were also left behind the attackers.

Meanwhile, the naxal attack in Shimoga figured in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly yesterday with legislators from naxal-infested areas voicing concern over the safety of their lives in the wake of the open threat issued to them by the naxals.

The Opposition Congress party sought to know from the Government the steps it had taken to contain the naxal menace, which had increased in the last few months.

Home Minister M P Prakash said the Government would hold a high-level meeting in Bangalore on Tuesday to review the security scenario in the naxal-hit areas of the State. Adequate steps will be taken to ensure protection is provided to not only the public representatives in the region, but also the common man, he assured.