Naxals loot farmer’s house
Sringeri (Chikmagalur dist), dhns: Naxal gangs that until now had engaged in stealing guns and killing people have now for the first time performed dacoity.

A12-member armed naxal gang, including four women, looted farmer Keshava Hegde, in Hulugarubail, Keregrama panchayath on Wednesday.

 The gang arrived at Hegde’s house situated in the Kudremukh national park area at around 9.30 pm and snatched one rifle, two cartridges and Rs 55,000 cash.

Hegde said “They first took Rs 65,000 and when I pleaded with them that it was to pay the fee for my daughter who is doing her MBA, they returned Rs 10,000.” They handed over pamphlets and ordered that farm workers should be given more wages and police should not be informed.

Chikmagalur  SP Vipul Kumar Shimoga SP Arun Chakravarthi visited the spot. A case has been registered.
The police have condemned the act and said “it will be replied through action”.

Show-cause notice to Reddy
Bellary, DHNS: The Forest department has issued a showcause notice to MLC G Janardhan Reddy, who owns the  Obalapuram Mining Corporation Private Limited, alleging that his company had encroached reserve forest land and using it for other purposes.

In the notice, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Bellary division) Dr P Rajashekharan has asked Mr Reddy to be present in his chambers with relevant documents on July 13.

The MLC has been charged with violating Karnataka’s boundary by taking up mining in the land adjoining the leased mining plot no 2527 in Tumati village, coming under the Bellary Reserve Forest area. Mr Reddy has licence  for mining in Malapanagudi village in Raidurga taluk, Andhra Pradesh. The notice states that it was found during investigation that the iron ore, which is the government’s property had been mined illegally.