The Hindu

MANGALORE, May 19: Area domination tactics used by the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) in the naxalite-affected Malnad areas of Karnataka ensured an incident-free polling on Friday. Barring three stray incidents of naxal pamphlets surfacing at Yemmar, Naravi and Andar, under Sringeri, Belthangady, and Hebri police limits, respectively, in the run up to the elections, the ANF succeeded in restricting the naxalite movement to interior forests. Confirming a change of tactics, Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) Ashit Mohan Prasad told The Hindu here on Sunday that the ANF was not used for poll duty.

Instead, their camps were shifted to deep forest reaches in Thombattu, Nandhihalla, Sindholli, Menasinahadya, and Sundakatte.

The presence of ANF platoons in deep forest enabled them to control and dominate activities in about 30 villages in the vicinity.

“This put them in a vantage position to reach the nearest village at the shortest possible time,” he said. Dismissing theories that the naxalites targeted Bhoja Shetty, a government school teacher, and his relative Suresh Shetty, at Sitanadi for allegedly being police informers, he said personal rivalry could not be ruled out. “It was a well-executed ambush by the killers,” he added.