The Hindu : Karnataka News : Body of kidnap accused handed over to kin

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Body of kidnap accused handed over to kin

By Our Staff Correspondent

TUMKUR, MAY 4. The body of Kudrapati Narasimha Reddy (34), main accused in the kidnapping of senior executives of a mining company at Sandur in Bellary district, was handed over to his brother, Narappa Reddy, at Pavagada in Tumkur district on Tuesday. He was shot dead by the police at Yarrammanahalli in Pavagada taluk on Monday when he allegedly snatched a service revolver of a police inspector and fired at him. The body was handed over to Mr. Narappa Reddy after post-mortem at the Pavagada General Hospital.

Mr. Narappa Reddy, who arrived here from Korapadu village of Ananthpur district in Andhra Pradesh, told presspersons that he had filed a petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 29 seeking the release of Narasimha Reddy. He had also filed a petition in a Bellary court seeking the release of his brother, he said.

He did not approve of the police version that Narasimha Reddy was arrested on Sunday. He said that his brother was arrested on April 29. There was no need to bring his brother to Pavagada as the police had unearthed explosives on April 30. Mr. Narappa Reddy alleged that the Congress leaders, Venkataravanappa, former MLA, and G.S. Dharam Pal, who was kidnapped by the Narasimha Reddy gang for ransom, were behind the police action.

The police have recovered five bombs, 20 bottle bombs, a remote-control device, a magnetic speaker, a wooden box, and five recharged cells from the first hideout of Narasimha Reddy. They have recovered 17 detonators, 27 electrical detonators, four crude bombs, 31 gelignite sticks and other explosive material from his second hideout. Y.N. Hoskote police have registered a case stating that Narasimha Reddy was killed in an encounter.

"Nakabhandi" is in force along the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border. The police claimed that the situation was under control. Narasimha Reddy was wanted in 30 cases of extortion, murder, dacoity, and kidnapping. The Andhra Pradesh Government had announced a Rs. two-lakh award to those who helped in the arrest of Narasimha Reddy. Born in 1970 at Cheeyedu village near Ananthpur in Andhra Pradesh, Narasimha Reddy left first year pre-university in 1986 to join People's War. Narasimha Reddy headed a unit of Ganapathy Dalam of People's War in Ananthpur district between 1990 and 1998 when he was made "chief commandant'' of the dalam. In 2000, he faced action from People's War for allegedly drifting away from its ideology and indulging in extortion. He and 14 others were removed from People's War. Subsequently, he started operating from Karnataka. It is alleged that Narasimha Reddy founded a gang and committed several crimes in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Narasimha Reddy's wife, Nirmala, was killed in an encounter with Andhra Pradesh police some time ago. Police sources said that Narasimha Reddy had admitted to the abduction of Mr. Dharam Pal. He and four others were arrested on the charge of kidnapping Rajendra Jain, managing director, and Shudhodan, general manager of a mining company at Sandur.

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