Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Mar 5: Ninganna alias Lingappa Gowda (55), and his sons, Vittal (21) and Purushottam (20), who were arrested from near Kutloor in the taluk on Friday on the allegation of supporting the naxals, were remanded to judicial custody. Vittal is a postgraduate student of Mangalore University.

Lingappa Gowda had left Kudremukh National Park in Kutloor last year, and had started to live in Naydaguri in Sulkeri in government land. However, because of revenue department’s eviction action, he had lost his house, and was forced to go back to his original habitat. The policemen have charged the arrested men under various provisions of different acts including conspiring against the nation, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 2007, conniving with  Naxals against police and government, etc.

It is said that Anti Naxal Force had been keeping an eye on the movements of these people since several months. They had recovered naxal pamphlets and other materials, binoculars etc from the house of Ninganna on Friday, it is said, although the policemen did not confirm this information. It is gathered that articles in favour of naxal movement, collection of newspaper reports, and newspaper clippings about the death of policemen and naxals in encounters, and materials bearing Maoist seal were recovered. It is also said that sheets in Vittals handwriting, calling for boycotting of elections, were also recovered.

The accused were produced in court at Mangalore, as the judge of Beltangady was posted for a two-day training programme.

Dalits Protest: In the meanwhile, at the meeting convened at the office of the district superintendent of police, Mangalore, on Sunday March 4 to receive petitions and hear grievances of the Dalits, secretary of Committee for Dalit Rights, Eshwari, complained that Ninganna and his two sons were wrongly branded as naxals and arrested by the policemen. She said that the policemen of Anti Naxal Force, of late, had been arresting innocents. She said that Vittal is a student, who is required to appear for his examination, and his arrest is likely to put his future into jeopardy. She said that the policemen of Beltangady have been rejecting petitions handed over by Dalit leaders, and have shown disrespect to them and derided their organization.

SP Abhishek Goyal, who presided, said that investigation into the complaints have not found substance or evidence. Assistant SP, Prabhkar, Puttur assistant SP, Ahuchet, probationary IPS officer, Yashoda, district crime intelligence bureau deputy SP, M N Nagaraj, probationary DySP, Divya, and others were present at the meeting.