Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (RD/GA)
Karkala, Jul 2: The worst fears have come alive now. After top Naxal leader Chandramauli shot dead by police a week ago, it was thought that Naxalites, who had been keeping a low profile for sometime ago, would do something to avenge their comrade's death. That fear came live when a group of 8 armed Naxalites torched a Bangalore-bound KSRTC bus at Tallur Angady-Kaimara on Sunday July 1.
The Bangalore-bound bus (KA 01 F-7744) had started at 6.30 pm from Agumbe. It was supposed to reach Bangalore via Chikmagalur. Since it was early morning, there were no passengers in the bus. When the bus reached Tallu-Kaimara two masked men when two masked men signaled the driver to stop the bus in a deserted spot, just 7 kilometres away from Agumbe.
The driver Veeranna, sensing the imminent danger did not stop. However, he was forced to stop the bus when some more masked men appeared in front with guns pointed at him. As the bus came to a halt, the group consisting of seven men and two women, ordered driver Veeranna and conductor Basavaraj to alight.
They broke open the diesel tank using a pick-axe and collected the diesel, which they poured in nooks of interior of the bus before torching the bus. They tried to snatch the money from the conductor’s purse. However, conductor had only Rs 100 with him. Meanwhile other vehicles appeared on the road, they disappeared in the nearby forest. However, they left behind three hand bills and one printed leaflet. The hand bill written in the name of Bhaskar condemned government and its policies.
The terrified driver and conductor managed to reach Agumbe outpost by some other transport. The neighboring villagers tried to extinguish the fire. But by then almost the entire bus had been engulfed by flames.
Eastern range IGP H N Satyanarayan, Karkal-Udupi ASP Raghuram, Chikmagalur SP Vipul Kumar, Shimoga DySP Arun Chakravarthy, additional SP Siddaramappa, DySP Chandrashekar, Agumbe SI Devaraj, Theerthahalli circle inspector Balaraj and other senior officers arrived at the site later.
Anti Naxal Squad (ANS) district police force has already begun the combing operations for the Naxals. Heavy security arrangements have been made on the stretch of deserted road.
ASP Phaneendra Singh, Koppa DySP Mallikarjun, Sringeri circle inspector Marikale Gowda, Theerthahalli MLA Ariga Jnanendra visited the and reviewed the situation.
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