Madikeri, May 8 -- Over 2,000 coffee plants, 250 pepper vines cut down at Kalakooru village

In a shocking incident of large-scale vandalism, unidentified miscreants entered a coffee plantation at Kalakooru village near Birunani in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district and destroyed more than 2,000 coffee plants and 250 pepper vines, causing losses estimated to run into several lakhs of rupees.

The plantation belongs to Kuppanamada Gautham, who had carefully developed the four-acre estate over the years with seven-year-old coffee plants and pepper vines. The estate was equipped with modern surveillance measures, including CCTV cameras installed at strategic locations.

The incident took place while Gautam and his family were away in Mysuru ...