MANGALORE: An intense combing operation in Karkala and Beltangady range of Kudremukh National Park (KNP) launched jointly by Anti-Naxal Force (ANF), Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police (SP) and Udupi SP yielded little success on Saturday.Police sources told Express that close on the heels of intelligence information about 10 to 15 armed naxalites being ‘sighted’ in Kudremukh National Forest, as many as 100 personnel drawn from ANF, DK SP and Udupi SP were engaged in the ‘gruelling’ combing operation which was withdrawn by about 5 pm on Saturday.Over 100 police personnel led by Udupi SP Ravi Kumar, ANF SP Vasudev Moorthy and DK SP Labhu Ram fanned out into three teams in order to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to elicit clues or learn about the whereabouts of naxalites who had slipped into the Kudremukh National Forest.The teams led by ANF SP Vasudev Moorthy and DK SP Labhu Ram began combing the thick leech-infested forest from Friday midnight onwards. The third team led by Udupi SP Ravi Kumar began combing the forests in Nooralbettu in Karkala taluk on Saturday. A team led by SP Labhu Ram combed forests in Kutlur and Panjalu.They even searched some of the homes in Panjalu settlement, which is 1,200 ft above sea level. The five ANF teams combed forests in Beltangady, sources informed Express.Besides fighting fatigue from walking in the pouring rains in the forest, the members were nearly exhausted pouring dettol and snuff powder on the leeches climbing over their shoes.The teams dispersed at about 5 pm after a ‘de-briefing’ on the operation, sources informed Express.Locals in Kutlur and Panjalu recollected a similar exercise of lesser intensity being launched two months ago. “They had come to our homes and made polite inquiries,” a resident said.
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