JOIN USMan abducted by Naxals found murdered
Speculations on the abduction of Sadashiva Gowda, a bamboo basket weaver, were put to rest on Wednesday, as his highly decomposed body was found by the district police in a thick forest in Thondalkatte area near Naadpalu, about 70 km from Udupi.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Anti Naxal Force (ANF) DIG Alok Kumar said the body was identified by Raju Gowda, the brother of Sadashiva Gowda.
Superintendent of Police Y S Ravikumar said Gowda’s body was found under a tree in a sitting position and his hands were tied to the trunk. There was a poster beside the body with a warning — “Right punishment will be given to police informers - Maoist.”
Three police teams were formed under Ravikumar to conduct joint combing operations with ANF in Thingalamakki and Kabbinale forest area on Wednesday. Police intensified the search after gleaning precise information about Gowda.
Gowda had gone missing on December 19. Local journalists received calls from Gowda’s mobile number from a man who identified himself as Vishwa, a Naxal leader, on December 22. He claimed he had abducted Gowda and that an “appropriate treatment” would be given to him for acting as a police informer.
Rumours of the abduction spread and the district police were forced to take up search operations. Gowda often stayed away from home, and this time he carried some ration with him. A missing complaint by his brother Raju was registered on December 24. The search for Gowda continued and was intensified in the last two days.
The nine days of uncertainty leading to many rumours ended with the recovery of Gowda’s body, which will be sent for post mortem on Thursday, police said.
Naxals attacking police informers is not new in the region. The rebels had killed police informers Boja Shetty and Rajesh Shetty on May 15, 2008. On December 7 the same year, Naxals murdered Keshav Yediyala at Hallihole of Kundapur taluk, suspecting him to be a police informer.
Gowda is the fourth victim of Naxals.