Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Apr 5: State level Naxal leader, Ramesh alias Sameer alias Rafi alias Madhava alias Shivakumar B S (52), who had been arrested pertaining in a case, was produced in the court here on Monday April 4.

He was remanded to police custody for three days, to enable police to conduct further investigation in a case of torching a motor bike and Maruti Omni van at Kutloor near Naravi in the taluk during 2013. Shivakumar also has been named as an accused in murder of teacher, Bhoja Shetty from Nadpal near Hebri and of taking part in naxal meeting at Kolli.

When he was produced  in the court, Shivakumar raised pro-naxal slogans.  He also justified his action by claiming that being a political leader, it was necessary for him to get some publicity.

An armed gang of naxals having about 10 to 15 members had arrived at the residence of Ramachandra Bhat, former member of Naravi gram panchayat, at Kutloor near Kukkuje Cross on November 8, 2013. The gang had torched a Maruti Omni van and motor bike owned by Bhat after he refused to open the door of his residence when they knocked at it at around 2 am. Along with the van, its shed was partially burnt down but Bhat had succeeded in dousing the flames of the motor bike. The gang had also left behind a three-page hand-written letter.

Interacting with media persons on the occasion, Shivakumar asserted that naxalism does not involve violence. He said naxals are fighting to protect western ghats and against atrocities on aborigines of the western ghats in the name of various projects. He said that his organization fights against middlemen, capitalists,landlords and imperialist forces which are enemies of India.

Shivakumar, resident of Krishnanagara slum area in Koramangala sports village, Bengaluru, happens to be state committee member of Maoist communist party. Born in 1965, he holds BA degree.After education, he worked in poultry unit and bar, and used to take part in protests and agitations every week. He was booked by police for the first time in       1995 during protest against Dongaramapura panchayat. After he faced threats from land owners, he obtained a pistol from Churukuri Nagaraj, and he used to lead counter attacks against landlords. He joined CPI Maoist peoples war group. He was named as main accused in murder case of Sudarshan Reddy, a rowdy sheeter from Raichur, in 1995. He was arrested by Andhra Pradesh police on September 11, 2016 from Bengaluru and handed over to Karnataka police later.