Karnataka Maoist Leader - Hosagadde Prabha Dead

There was a buzz of activity at the house of Hosagadde Prabha, a Naxal leader who carries a reward of Rs 5 lakh, in Hosagadde near Agumbe in Shimoga on Thursday following rumours of her death in a Bengaluru hospital. According to family sources, some unidentified people had sent Prabha’s mother a message that her daughter’s body will reach there soon. Police officials from Theerthahalli and Agumbe arrived at her house to meet her parents. But neither the police nor the family has any concrete information on the death of the 30-year-old Naxal.

According to the police, Narayanappa, Prabha’s father, pleaded ignorance on the issue. “It has officially been confirmed that Prabha’s health had been deteriorating. She was not active since the last two months and was reportedly seriously ill. There were reports that she could no longer hide in the dense forests of Western Ghats,” a senior police officer said.

Earlier, on August 7, a few Naxals had reportedly approached some residents of Agumbe, seeking help to shift the ailing Prabha to a hospital. But no one helped forcing the Naxals to return to their camp. Anti Naxal Force (ANF) sleuths, who learnt of this, combed the area and set up barricades, which made escape impossible. Two days later, a group of four, including a woman aged around 30, travelled to Kadur from Kuduregundi, about 10 km from Koppa. From Kadur, the four reached Bengaluru in a KSRTC bus. The ailing woman was admitted to a private hospital.

Sources told that Prabha was suffering from asthma and was also highly diabetic. Recently, she developed gangrene due to an injury in the leg. Since the weather condition in the Western Ghats was very cold due to monsoon, her condition worsened.

She was brought to St John’s hospital in Bangalore where she was treated. It is not clear when she was brought to the hospital. Her condition worsened and she passed away on Wednesday night.

When police went to the hospital and made inquiries, even showing Prabha’s photo, which they were in possession as she was a wanted person, they drew a blank. Reason: the hospital authorities could not identify Prabha as the photo was taken when Prabha passed her class 10.