An increase in Maoists’ activities in Dakshina Kannada indicated that the Left extremists were working towards their plan of creating a corridor along the Western Ghats from the northern tip to Wayanad in Kerala, a police officer, who had served in the region, said.
The officer, now on central deputation, said that in 2006 the Maoists group devised the plan to spread their activities in the Western Ghats. The increase in the number of sighting of Maoists in Dakshina Kannada indicated the creation of that corridor, he said. “It is a matter of concern. There are reports of Maoist groups recruiting people from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. They have planned to spread till Wayanad,” he said.
The officer said the Maoist activities in Dakshina Kannada were earlier restricted to higher reaches of Belthangady taluk. The Maoists were now seen adopting an organised approach for achieving their objective. “They are conducting many training camps. Some of them have been busted by the police,” the officer said.
Another senior officer, who was involved in many anti-Naxal operations, said that unlike Maoists operating in Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand, the groups operating in the region had not been involved in overt activities and attacks. The Maoist groups here had not been able to establish their base here despite operating in the region for more than 10 years, the second officer said. At least three groups of Maoists were said to be active in Karnataka. One group was led by B.G. Krishnamurthy and the second one was led by Vikrama Gowda, said the officer. The third one was less active, and its leader was not known, he said. Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) Pratap Reddy said recent encounters, including the one in Mittabagilu in Belthangady in March and near pilgrimage centre Srigeri, pointed to operations by Maoists from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. He said there was not much support for these groups from local people. The police were receiving information about Maoists presence from people, which was helping in busting their designs.
Suspect’s Maoist link
The Karnataka police said a suspected Maoists, Yellappa alias Dinakar, who was killed in an encounter on Tuesday, had links with Communist Party of India (Maoist) State Committee member Ramesh alias Jayanna.
Anti Naxal Force Commander Alok Kumar said Yellappa had not been sighted before in the Malnad region. He said, Ramesh introduced Yellappa to the cadre operating in Malnad. Ramesh was among the many the Maoists activists, the Karnataka police have been seaching for, Mr.
Kumar said. Investigations were on to find how Yellappa was associated with the Maoist group led by Vikram Gowda that was operating in the Malnad region, he said.
