Maoist leader Vikram Gowda killed in Karnataka’s Udupi

Maoist leader Vikram Gowda was killed in an exchange of fire in the Kabbinale forest in Karnataka’s Udupi district on Monday night, police said on Tuesday. It was the first gunfight in the region in 13 years.
A police officer said an anti-Maoist operation was launched when they were tipped off about the presence of a five-member Maoist group at a village to purchase daily necessities. He added Maoists attacked the police, which led to the exchange of gunfire. Gowda, the leader of the group, was killed on the spot while the others managed to flee.
Gowda was involved in Maoist activities in the region. The operation that led to his death was part of an ongoing campaign against growing Maoist activity in the Western Ghats.
Maoist presence has been reported in parts of Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada, specifically in Kadaba, Sullia taluks, and Chikkamagaluru. Three firearms were recovered from a home after Maoist leader Mungaru Latha and her team’s visit.
Maoists were reported to have organised meetings in Koppa and Shringeri amid opposition to Forest Rights Act, and land acquisition for projects.
On February 5, 2005, suspected Maoist Saketh Rajan was killed in Menasinahadya in Chikkamagaluru. The Maoists have since then been observing this day as the “Red Salute” day to honour his memory. Rajan’s killing was a major blow to the Maoists in the region.