Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Aug 19: A gang of 13 naxals entered the house of Narasimha Murty, father of Dakshina Kannada district crime intelligence bureau inspector Venkatesh Prasanna, located at Kigga near Sringeri in Chikmagalur district on the night of Monday August 17, threatened the family members.
In addition to Narasimha Murty, his wife, son Ravindra, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren live at Kigga. The gang that visited the family at around 9 pm remained there for about two and half hours, during which period, they raised several topics and warned the family of dire consequences, before leaving.
Reportedly, the naxals knocked at the back door of Murty's home. When Ravindra questioned about their identity through the window, they revealed their identity, upon which Murthy asked them to enter the home from the front door. After the front door was opened, seven women and six men entered the house. Three of the gang members had .303 guns with them, while three others had AK-47 guns. The other gang members wielded SLR guns. They cut off telephone connection, searched the entire house, snatched away the mobile phones and removed their batteries.
The naxals are said to have told the family that they suspected the family of having played had a role in the killing of a naxal activist named Diwakar, and vowed to avenge this killing. They asked Ravindra to stop undertaking contract work and to distribute their lands to tenants, extend help for getting the naxal supporters released whenever they are arrested, and to support the naxals instead of the BJP. The other issues they raised, are said to be the power connection the family had provided to the barbed fencing of the farm and releasing of water to the fields of Harijan farmers. Even though they said, they would take away a double barrel gun found in the house, after some heated exchange of words, they relented and kept the gun back. They left at 11.30 pm, after asking for coffee. Before leaving, the gang members are said to have given some pamphlets to the family and warned them not to give any information on this incident, to the policemen.
The family members saw that a few people were standing guard outside, when the 13 entered the house. The family members could identify only Hosagadde Prabha and Ravindra, out of the 13 naxals.