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Karnataka Today newsletter: How Anti Naxal Force officers ambushed Maoist leader Vikram Gowda, and more

In his complaint to the local police, Raghavendra R. Naik, DySP, Anti Naxal Force (Karkala Unit), who led the encounter that killed Maoist leader Vikram Gowda on November 19 evening, said they were waiting in ambush in the forest around the house where Vikram Gowda was expected to come, according to their tip-off. 

In his complaint, a copy of which is accessed by The Hindu, Mr. Naik said that based on a tip-off that Maoists are expected to visit three houses in Peetabailu area of Nadpalu village, ANF personnel sat in ambush in the forest area around these houses from 5 p.m. on November 18. At around 6 p.m., Vikram Gowda and others walk into the area armed with guns.

While police officers asked them to surrender, the Maoists started raising “Maovaadi Zindabad” slogans and began firing at them. When the firing continued despite repeated warnings, ANF officers fire back in self-defence, Mr. Naik said. While Vikram Gowda took a hit and fell down, the escaped into the forest.

The wanted Maoist leader was cremated at his native place at Kudlu in Hebri taluk on November 20, 2024. After post-mortem at KMC in Manipal, police handed over the body to his brother Suresha Gowda and sister Suguna, who performed Gowda’s last rites in a small piece of land owned by him in the presence of his relatives and local people. For a complete and detailed coverage of Vikram Gowda’s encounter killing, read here.

The draft of the Karnataka Space Technology Policy 2024-2029 was released at the Bengaluru Tech Summit on November 20. Through the draft policy, the government of Karnataka has set a vision of holding 50% of the national market share of the sector, and transforming Karnataka into a global destination for space sector with 5% of global market share.

The policy will focus on all segments (upstream and downstream) of the space value chain for commercial, defence space and electronics, space research, astronomy and astrophysics. Karnataka plans to train and upskill 5,000 students and young professionals, including 1,500 women, to be employable by the domestic and global space sector.

Meanwhile, ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said the space agency is keen to work with the automotive sector to help them develop and manufacture automotive sensors indigenously. To address the dependency of India’s automotive industry on sensors manufactured abroad, he said a workshop would be organised with the automotive industry and the space ecosystem next week.