Bengaluru, Nov 19 (IANS) Vikram Gowda, one of the most wanted Maoists killed in an encounter with the police, had more than 50 cases against him in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He had always opposed the state government’s efforts to reform Maoists and bring them to the mainstream, said officials here on Tuesday.
According to police, Vikram Gowda was on the most wanted list of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu state police departments. He headed the Maoist movement in Karnataka state.
Gowda hailed from Kudlu Nadvalu village in Hebri taluk of Karnataka’s Udupi district. Kuppuswamy from Tamil Nadu is heading the Maoist movement in the South India region and Vikram Gowda was handling the Karnataka region under him.
Gowda was wanted in more than 50 cases and was also involved in the Maoist movement for almost two decades. He came from a background in labour organisation and developed a liking for the Maoists.
He managed to escape from the clutches of Karnataka Police three times. The police had almost caught him once. In 2016, Gowda was spotted by Kerala Police. However, he again managed to give them a slip and escape into the thick jungles of the Western Ghats.
Gowda strongly opposed the successive Karnataka state government’s efforts to bring Maoists to the mainstream through various initiatives. He was also against author and activist late Gowri Lankesh for playing a major role in reforming the Maoists.
He posted posters against the late Gowri Lankesh and her efforts to reach out to Maoists to come into the mainstream by surrendering weapons in the Chikkamagaluru district.
Vikram Gowda was the head of the Netravati wing. He was also at the forefront of the movement in opposing the declaration of Kudremukh National Park. He got in touch with Maoists through this movement. As he hailed from a labour organisation background, Vikram Gowda soon became an active Maoist and led the Netravati team in Karnataka.
The police department had announced a Rs 5 lakh cash award for information on him 10 years ago. As many as 13 cases were filed against Gowda in Chikkamagalur district alone. In total, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala states, more than 50 police cases were registered against him.
The Karnataka Police killed one of the most wanted Maoist leaders of South India, Vikram Gowda, in an encounter in the Kabbinale forest region in Udupi district. Home Minister G. Parameshwara announced this to the media on Tuesday. He said, “Our police forces encountered dreaded naxal leader Vikram Gowda on Monday evening. After being spotted by the police, Vikram Gowda opened fire on the police. The police in turn opened fire on him and killed him.”
Vikram Gowda’s other three associates, who were with him, however, managed to escape from the police forces. The authorities have continued the combing operation in the region, Parameshwara stated. The police forces had been keeping a vigil on the movements of Vikram Gowda. They had collected credible inputs about his movements and finally launched the operation, he stated.
–IANS
mka/dpb
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
