Vikram Gowda encounter killing: How Anti Naxal Force officers ambushed the Maoist leader

DySP Raghavendra R. Naik, in his complaint to the police, said Anti Naxal Force personnel were waiting in ambush in the forest around the house where Vikram Gowda was expected to come, according to a tip-off. 

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 Monday (November 19, 2024) 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 they were combing in Karkala and Hebri areas following multiple reports of Maoists being spotted in the region. He further said that for the past one week, their unit was combing forest areas of Khajane and Kuchooru of Kabbinale village and Peetabailu and Tingalamakki of Nadpalu village. 

“We had a tip-off that Maoists are expected to visit three houses in Peetabailu area of Nadpalu village. We sat in ambush in the forest area around these houses from 5 p.m. on November 18. At around 6 p.m., we saw Vikram Gowda and two or three others walk into the area armed with guns,” Mr. Naik said in his statement. 

Residents of Peetabailu village had told mediapersons who visited the spot on November 19 that ANF personnel had evacuated three houses before the Maoists walked in, to prevent any casualties in a possible crossfire, and were sitting in ambush. 

Sources in security agencies told The Hindu that Maoists had visited the village a few days ago, paid one of them ₹400, and threatened him to keep groceries ready and that they would return three days later to collect them. Reportedly, this was the tip-off that the combing party of the ANF got. 

“Realising that they are Maoists, we screamed at them announcing we were police officers and asked them to surrender. But on realising they were ambushed, they started raising slogans “Maovaadi Zindabad” and began firing at us. We hid next to a house nearby and warned them to surrender, failing which we will also have to fire. But Vikram Gowda and others continued to fire at us with the only intention to kill us. So, in self-defence, we fired at them. Vikram Gowda was hit by bullets and fell down. Others who had come with him continued to fire at us and escaped into the forest. By the time we came and saw Vikram Gowda, he was dead. There was a 9mm carbine recovered from near his body,” Mr. Naik recounted the encounter thus in his statement to the police. 

In his statement, Mr. Naik said he had an AR rifle, while the other personnel with him had AK rifles and Excalibur rifles, all semi-automatic assault rifles.