The Hindu : Naxalites stepping up presence in Kudremukh area?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 07, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Naxalites stepping up presence in Kudremukh area?

By K.V. Subramanya

BANGALORE DEC. 6. To avenge the death of their comrades in an encounter with the police in Udupi district recently, naxalites have stepped up their activities in the Kudremukh area by rushing in reinforcements from Andhra Pradesh.

Sources in the State Police told The Hindu on Saturday that a large number of naxalites belonging to various "dalams" from Karimnagar and Warangal districts of Andhra Pradesh were trying to enter Kudremukh, Karkala, Sringeri, and surrounding areas.

Apart from bringing more people from Andhra Pradesh, the naxalites were planning to strengthen their cadre in the Kudremukh area by recruiting a large number of local women, sources said.

Meanwhile, ballistic experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), who had examined the spot where the encounter took place at Bollottu village on the outskirts of Karkala, had stated that the naxalites had opened fire at the police party. The experts, who found a used 4 mm. bullet at the spot, stated that it was fired from a weapon that was with Usha who was killed in the encounter, sources said.

The experts stated that Usha was not able to fire more rounds as the weapon developed a snag after the first shot. "Usha was not directly hit by a bullet. It had pierced a wooden door behind which she was hiding and then hit her," sources said quoting the experts. The findings of the experts assume significance as human rights groups have alleged that it was a fake encounter and police had shot dead Usha and Sumathi.

Two days ago, the High Court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition that sought action against the Superintendent of Police of Udupi district, S. Murugan, and the Circle Inspector of Police, Ashokan, for the death of two women.

The High Court did not find any merit in the petition filed by a Bangalore-based advocate, H.R. Vishwanath, who had sought an inquiry by the National Human Rights Commission into the incident that took place in Karkala taluk.

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