STF starts collecting info on Veerappan movements

Meanwhile, the Thalavadi police have registered a case about the kidnap of Dr Rajkumar, his son-in-law Govindaraj, close relative Nagesh and his office assistant Nagappa, following a complaint lodged by a local village administrative officer.

Veerappan has been mentioned as the prime accused and there are 14 others. Charges have been framed under various sections of IPC and the Arms Act. Significantly, no one from Rajkumar’s family has so far lodged any complaint in the local police station.

Official sources in the Collectorate on Tuesday refuted a newsreport that the Collector had received a cassette from Veerappan. However, they said they were prepared to get any kind of information from Veerappan and recalled that earlier, the brigand had sent a cassette to him after kidnapping three forest department staff.

Tamil Nadu’s STF sleuths are adopting a cautious approach to the abduction following steps taken by the governments of the two states to get the hostages released. The STF personnel, numbering nearly 500, are on full alert in Thalavadi, Sathy, Thalamalai, Asanur, Andhiyur and Madheswaran Malai areas.

Frequent rains in the forest areas and the ubiquitous leech problem has also dampened their spirit in intensifying the combing operations in the 6,000-sq km forest area in the past one year.

After December 1998 — when Veerappan attacked the Vellithiruppur police station — he has not committed any major crime in the forest area. Then, he had escaped with armaments and significantly, the attack took place around 9.30 p.m. on a new moon night, just like the incident at Thottahasanur village from where Rajkumar and three others were abducted.

After the Vellithiruppur incident, his name came up in three forest staff abductions in the Hogenakkal forest area in March 1999, but Veerappan refuted the charges. Later, it was found that the forest staff were burnt alive by members of a Naxalite gang.

This is also the first time that Veerappan has become imbroiled in a case with such far-reaching effects. In abducting Rajkumar, he has has aroused passions of Kannadigas against Tamils and their institutions in that state. The STF sleuths, therefore, are more cautious in handling the situation.

With a strength of about 1,000 police personnel (about 300 drawn from Tamil Nadu and 700 from Karnataka) involving personnel from the rank of IG to constable, the STF has moved its force into the forest areas of Mettur, Kolathur and Palar in Salem district, Bargur and Harur areas in Dharmapuri, Andhiyur and Sathyamangalam in Erode and Bannari and Surumugai region in Coimbatore. Similarly, the Karnataka STF has commenced its combing operations in Thimbam, Madheswaran Malai Hills, Palar and Kollegal regions.

An IGP said it would not be difficult to nab Veerappan if the two state governments gave the STF “a free hand” and provided it with adequate weapons and other support. He said the wings of the STF had often been clipped at the instigation of some “vested interests” whenever it had intensified its activities. There was no immediate back-up force to bring wounded police personnel from the forest areas for about 30 km to the plains. The Border Security Force with its two battalions which was engaged in STF combing operations for quite some time withdrew itself five years ago.