Naxalite kills villager hours before the second phase polls

Udupi, May 15 (UNI) With hours left for the second phase polls for the Karntaka Assembly, naxalites belonging to CPI(Maoists) group today shot dead a villager in Nadpal about 50 km from here tonight.

Police officials said the desparados, numbering about six, barged into the house of Bhoja Shetty and shot him at point blank range without any provocation.

Incidentally a group of naxals had entered the house of Shetty some time ago and had threatened him and before going back smashed house hold articles like TV and other equipment.

Anti Naxal Squad rushed to the village and began combing operations, police said.

The attack comes in the wake of naxalites warning the voters to boycott electons. Udupi along with nine other districts, including Chikmagalur and Shimoga, which is known naxal presence, goes to polls in the second phase tomorrow.

The outlaws had pasted posters in public places in these areas coming under thick foilage in the Westren Ghat region calling for the boycott of elections during the past one month.

Authorities have put in place tight security arrangements in the naxal affected areas with ANF, para military forces, besides the local police and the state armed reserve deployed extensively.

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