Naxal Kotehonda Ravindra to surrender in Chikkamagaluru today

Chikkamagaluru: Kotehonda Ravindra, who was actively involved in the Naxal movement, is set to surrender at 11 am today at SP office in Chikkamagaluru.

Ravindra, a resident of Kotehonda village in Kigga, Sringeri taluk, was the last remaining member of the Naxal movement who had been living in the forest.

On January 8, a group of Maoist comprising Latha Mundaguru, Vanajakshi Balehole, Sundari Kutturu, Marappa Aroli, K Vasanth (Tamil Nadu), and TN Jisha (Kerala), surrendered. They were welcomed in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and were later taken into judicial custody.

Kotehonda Ravindra, who was separated from the Maoist group, had not been in contact. Efforts to reach him were made by the Shanthigagi Nagarika Vedike and the committee overseeing Naxal surrender in an attempt to bring him back to the mainstream.

According to the committee overseeing Naxal surrender members KP Shripal and KL Ashok, Ravindra has been contacted and he agreed to surrender.

“We are extremely happy to announce that the last underground naxal Kotehonda Ravi has surrendered at Nemmar Forest IB (4 km from Sringeri). From there we are transporting him to Chikkamagaluru for the surrender process. The long absconding Naxal Thombattu Lakshmi will surrender tomorrow at Chikkamagaluru/Udupi. She is on the way,” said a release shared in CM Siddaramaiah’s media group.

“Under the guidance of Chief Minister Sidharamaiah, under the leadership of Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, and DGP Alok Mohan, The State Intelligence, Karnataka has ensured that the State of Karnataka is an absolutely Naxal- free state. The Operation Naxal surrender is complete,” said the release.

Chief Siddaramaiah has announced the Chief Minister’s Medal for the team of 22 police officers and men who had put in relentless efforts to make Karnataka a Naxal-free state.