Wanted for 20 years, Karnataka’s underground Naxal leader Vikram Gowda killed in encounter in Udupi

According to constabulary sources, Vikram Gowda, 44, was among a radical of 8 remaining underground Naxals from Karnataka. With his death, determination are 7 members of whom 4 are women. Latha oregon Mundgaru Latha is among the underground Naxals inactive wanted by the constabulary on with Angadi Pradeep.

The constabulary said Vikram Gowda visited the Kabbinale colony Monday nighttime with his squad to cod groceries. Based connected information, ANF attacked him and arsenic the Naxals opened fire, the constabulary responded starring to Vikram Gowda’s death, they added. He had a bounty of Rs 3 lakh announced by Karnataka, and that of Rs 50,000 from Kerala.

“Last evening, determination was an brushwood aft helium was located, and helium died successful the firing and instrumentality firing. We person accusation that 3 Naxals escaped aft Vikram Gowda was shot. ANF is continuing its searches successful the region,” Parameshwara said astir his decease — the archetypal of a Naxal successful implicit 2 decades successful Karnataka.

The archetypal large Naxal-police brushwood successful Karnataka took spot successful 2003. On November 17, 2003, 2 women Naxalites — Sumathi, 24, and Usha, 23, were killed successful an brushwood with the constabulary adjacent Idu successful Karkala successful Udupi district.

“Vikram Gowda, a dreaded Naxal, has been wanted for 20 years, and our radical (police) were carrying retired efforts to find him. He escaped successful respective encounters earlier. He was progressive arsenic a Naxal and perpetually moving betwixt states,” helium said.

The Karnataka location curate said 2 Naxals Raju and Latha were sighted past week. “The operations are connected to find them and abruptly they came upon this group,” helium said. “The authorities is extending its enactment to those who driblet their weapons and surrender earlier the authorities to rebuild their lives successful the mainstream,” helium added.

Vikram Gowda went underground successful 2002 aft initially being aligned with Naxal activities arsenic a courier and money collector successful the forests astir his location successful the Western Ghats successful Dakshina Kannada. He studied lone till Class 4, and was progressive successful tribal rights activism, sources said. He was reportedly starring a breakaway radical of Naxals.

Naxal activities successful Karnataka person been astir negligible since 2018 erstwhile the radical was reduced to a specified 19 members who reportedly moved to neighbouring Kerala and Tamil Nadu. However, determination person been reports of the revival of Naxal activities successful Karnataka successful caller months.

In March this year, the Kodagu and Hassan constabulary initiated investigations aft grounds of Naxal movements successful the forests of the Western Ghats successful Karnataka. Police units were deployed connected the Kodagu-Kerala borderline and successful the Hassan district. “They moved to Karnataka from Kerala successful February,” said a constabulary source.

Reports suggested Naxals approached distant villages seeking assistance to combat for the mediocre and Vikram Gowda was spotted successful a colony nether the Kodagu territory successful February.

In March, the Karnataka portion of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the Congress authorities aft reports of Vikram Gowda-led group’s introduction into the state’s forests. “After Siddaramaiah came to power, the Naxals, who were obscurity to beryllium found, person travel to Karnataka to hide. As Congress is successful power, they judge that they tin transportation retired panic activities safely,” the Karnataka BJP alleged connected societal media.

In 2021, Vikram Gowda’s ex-wife Savitri, 35, was besides arrested aft B G Krishnamurthy was nabbed by the Kerala police. Savitri, alias Rajita alias Usha, was the Kabini Dalam commandant and Area Committee subordinate who was portion of the Naxals since 2004.

In caller years, arsenic galore arsenic 14 Naxals person entered the mainstream nether a rehabilitation argumentation started by the Congress enactment during its erstwhile tenure successful 2013.