Kanakalabande Venkatesh is in custody. Police nabbed him Tuesday night in the Kadamalakunte Hills, ending a month-long chase for the man accused of planting a crude bomb at a farmer's pump set in Kanakalabande village last August. The arrest followed a dense, 20-day combing operation that consumed significant resources and drew intense scrutiny from local authorities.
The incident wasn't just an explosion. Venkatesh allegedly plastered a threatening letter on the gate of a farm owned by Bhushappa, demanding ₹5 lakh in the name of a Maoist outfit. He vanished immediately after the blast in August, leaving his wife Savitramma and their two children to face the initial brunt of the investigation. They, along with two others, were already in handcuffs when the manhunt for the primary suspect began.
The scale of the operation to catch him was massive. More than 150 police personnel fanned out across the hills near Pavagada after receiving a specific tip-off. The grid search swept through dense terrain, finally pinning down Venkatesh who had been hiding out in the Kadamalakunte Hills.
With Venkatesh in the lockup, the prosecution now holds the key figure in the case. Authorities are expected to file formal charges soon, shifting the focus from the logistical nightmare of the manhunt to the legal proceedings that will determine his fate.