Police Sound red alert pon Karnataka villages bordering AP

Gulbarga, Mar 4: A red alert has been sounded in villages bordering Andhra Pradesh in Gulbarga, Bidar and Raichur districts with the borders virtually sealed following a daring attempt on the life of Tandur municipal council Chairman Lakshma Reddy in the neighbouring State.

North-East Karanataaka Inspector-General of Police Ramakrishna who chaired a meeting of the heads of police of these districts here last evening said additional forces had been deployed at checkposts and all vehicles coming into the state from AP were being checked.

Gulbarga Superintendent of Police Dr K Ramachandra Rao said today that an elite police teams numbering more than 300 conducted intensive combing operations in the jungles of Konchavaram here late last night (Mar 4, 2006).

Rao said security at check-posts at Konchavaram, Miriyan, Saidapur, Yanagundi, Gurmitkal and few villages has been strengthened, A Karnataka state reserve police platoon each has been rushed to these check-posts with sophisticated weapons and bullet- proof jeckets, he added.

According to reports received here, around five assailants shot at Mr Reddy from behind when he was taking stroll near the Chincholi bus stand in Tandur before fleeing the attackers also flung a grenade, which, fortunately, did not go off. Mr Reddy, who was hit by bullets, was rushed to the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciencess in Hyderabad(NIMS). His condicion was reported to be a serious.

According to the information received by the state police, CPI (Maoist) activists conducted meetings in Krishna village bordering Raichur Dstrict and Kodangal village bordering Gulbarga district a few days ago.

UNI