ANF men gun down suspected Maoist near Subramanya

The ANF personnel gunned down a suspected Maoist during combing operations at Baaginamale reserve forest near here Tuesday night. However, the identity of the dead is yet to be ascertained.

Following reports of the movement of Maoists at Palligadde in Kulkunda of Subramanya last week, five teams of ANF had been conducting combing operations.

The ANF personnel had started the search operation from the left side of Chowdamma Gudi at Bisile Ghat Tuesday morning.

After walking for seven km inside the forest, they reached thick forest where they encountered the ultras and exchanged fire with them.

The Maoist must have been killed during the exchange of fire, said sources, adding traces of two grenades were found at the spot.

On Wednesday morning, ANF commander Alok Kumar, along with Forest observer Damodar, entered the forest through the Subramanya-Gundya Road.

Another team led by Dakshina Kannada in-charge SP Subhash Gudimani, ASP Anuchet and others visited the spot. One more team led by Puttur tahsildar Kulle Gowda, SI Prasanna came to the spot and collected details.

But, sources said Kuppaswamy from Tamil Nadu is the dead. The body has been shifted to Wenlock Hospital in Mangalore. The encounter spot is situated on the border of Subramanya with the Yalasoor forest  of Hassan district.

Barring the ANF, police and media, the entry of other vehicles has been banned on the Subramanya-Bisile Road. The spot is seven km from the Bisile border and the police personnel are finding it difficult to reach the spot due to heavy rain, leeches and thick forest.

The Maoists had visited a house at Palligadde on Saturday. As the area has Addahole stream on one side and Kotesaru river on the other, it is difficult for anyone to escape, it is said.

Turn of events

* August 22 - The Maoists had food at a house on the periphery of the forest at Ermayil

* August 23 - The team had taken away two kg rice, two coconuts from a house at Cheru

* August 24 - They took away kerosene from the house of Bhagya.

Police have information that Maoists had stayed at a homestay at Subramanya and had charged a laptop, mobile phones

* August 30 and 31 - Naxals had visited Palligadde. It is suspected they visited a few houses in the area.

The woman in the team has been identified as Sundari.  According to ANF sources, the encounter must have taken place at 7.45 pm