Senior officers start investigating ANF constable Mane’s death

Senior officers start investigating ANF constable Mane’s death

Mangalore Today News Network

Belthangady, Oct 11, 2011 : Senior police and Anti Naxal Force (ANF) officials have  begun investigating the death of ANF Constable Mahadeva Mane, who was killed in a Naxal encounter in the forests around Belthangady, owing to several suspicions regarding the case.

 

 

Speaking about the incident, DGP Neelam Achyutha Rao said that, since the bullet was not found during the post mortem, the body was taken for scanning and X-ray after which the bullet was found. The bullet had touched a bone and broken into four pieces. The post mortem report is now with the forensic experts, he added.

IGP (ANF) Bhaskar Rao said that the death will be thoroughly investigated and added that forensic experts from Manipal will study the post mortem report thoroughly and that an SP (internal security), four deputy SPs, and a few inspectors will probe into the death.

Alok Mohan, the IGP (western range) said that the post mortem was done in a Belthangady Government Hospital. He said that the doctors who conducted the post mortem did not find any bullets, but four pieces of a bullet were retrieved during x-ray and scanning.

Further, Mr. Mohan said that the police were investigating possibilities of misfiring, adding that the investigation is still in its initial phases.

Labhuram, the superintendent of police, said that the police have not yet found the gun that fired the bullet. Since the Naxals had not fired at the police from a long distance, police feel that the bullet must have been from an AK-47.

According to reliable sources, ANF personnel wear bullet proof jackets during any operation, but Mane was killed because he was not wearing any bullet proof jacket.

DGP Neelam Achyutha Rao, ADGP (internal security) Bipin Gopalakrishna, and SP Labhu Ram are now in Belthangady. The DGP had visited the place where Mane was killed.

Meanwhile, the combing operations in the area have intensified under the guidance of senior officials, with a total of six teams formed for the purpose.

CM D. V. Sadananda Gowda, who is in DK today, might visit the spot.