Madikeri: Three naxalites armed with rifles are suspected to have visited the houses of Kudiya community in Guddegaddhe of Koynadu on February 2 evening. The village near Sampaje along the Kodagu- Dakshina Kannada border is surrounded by forests.

It is said that three men clad in green khaki pants visited the house of Kudiyara Sankappa, Kitta , Nagaveni and Nalinakshi and collected rice from them. The naxalites, reportedly, even charged their mobile phones in their houses and sent Shankappa to the nearby grocery shop to buy provisions. Speaking Tulu and Kannada fluently, they even paid Rs 2700 towards the items purchased, it is gathered.

Soon after hearing the news, Madikeri Rural Police rushed to the spot and gathered information about their movement in the area. The Anti Naxal Force (ANF) personnel accompanied by the jurisdictional police have started search operations to trace the naxals.