Security has been beefed up in Agumbe and surrounding areas in the district in the wake of a police encounter with Naxals near Menasinahadya in Chickmagalur district on Tuesday.
Superintendent of Police Arun Chakravarthy and Additional SP Siddaramappa visited Agumbe on Tuesday afternoon and supervised the security arrangements.
A Bangalore-bound KSRTC bus was burnt by a group of armed Naxals at Gubbiga-Tallurangadi village near Agumbe on July 1. It was the first major Naxal strike in the district as till date their activities were limited to conducting public interaction meetings at Mallandur, Ulumadi, Hosagadde, Agumbe and other villages.
In October 2004, the police had exchanged bullets with Maoists at Barkana in the district in which the latter had a narrow escape. Arms and ammunition had also been recovered from the spot. 
Suspected Maoist Hosagadde Prabha had intervened in a dispute regarding the sharing of water between one Thimmappa Gowda and residents of Ulumadi village in 2005 and had threatened him to provide water to villagers. Thimmappa Gowda had lodged a complaint with Thirthahalli police in this connection.
 After burning the KSRTC bus at Gubbiga-Tallurangadi,  the police were put on alert and Anti-Naxal Force had intensified combing operations. They had even sealed the area surrounding Barkana falls.