MANGALORE: A constable in one of the teams led by Anti Naxal Force (ANF) personnel was killed during a fire exchange between Naxalites and ANF personnel at Manjila at Navoor village in Belthangady taluk on Saturday night.The constable, who took a bullet in the back during the first such encounter in Dakshina Kannada district, was identified as M S Mane (40), attached to the ninth battalion of KSRP in Kodlu (Bangalore).Acting on reliable information that Naxalites, led by Vikram Gowda would be visiting Pilikala, 30 members were divided into three teams. One of the teams led by Reserve Sub Inspector in ANF, Gurupada took up position near Manjila, which is 12 kms from Belthangady.At about 11.20 pm the Naxalites, who numbered more than 15, arrived holding torches and wearing helmets fitted with powerful torches. At about 70 feet from where ANF personnel lay waiting, the Naxalites were asked to surrender.They responded by spraying bullets and Mane, who was attempting to take position, was killed. DGP and IGP Neelam Achuta Rao suspects that the Naxalites too suffered casualties because ANF personnel had distinctly heard a woman cry out loud in pain.From the location, ANF personnel recovered footwear, a plastic bag, an iron rod of one metre length and a torch light. An FIR was lodged in Beltangady police station by police constable Ramesh and has named Vikram Gowda of Koodlu in Udupi district, Sundari, Vijay and Keerthi as Naxalites who had opened fire on ANF personnel.Police sources told Express that only part of the bullet wedged deep in Mane’s body could be retrieved during the post mortem conducted in Belthangady hospital. After conducting a second x-ray, the body was handed over to relatives. Mane, who hails from Chincholi in Bijapur, is survived by his wife Shobha, children Pradeep and Sandeep .
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