Tags:
Journalism of Courage
ERODE, AUGUST 6: A splinter group of the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA) is said to be influencing forest brigand Veerappan.
According to sources here, some activists of the Thani Thamizh Nadu Viduthalai Padai, led by Maran, were involved in the Vellithuruppur police station attack under Veerappan’s leadership in 1998.
Three persons belonging to that movement were arrested by the `Q’ branch police at Pudukkottai and Chennai a few months ago.
The police found that the movement had asked Veerappan to study the possibility of attacking Andhiyur, Banglapudhur and some other police stations in and around the hill areas for securing arms, but finally decided to attack Vellithuruppur.
The movement started maintaining contacts with Veerappan even as the police treated them as Naxalites and cracked down on them in Cuddalore, Vellore and Pondicherry.
A cassette in which Rajkumar’s voice was recorded was handed over to a reporter of Tamilan Express last week at Pondicherry. The police presume that the members of the group are active along with Veerappan in the Rajkumar kidnap case as well.
The two cassettes, handed over to Gopal’s associate Balu, were also not directly given by Veerappan. The police suspect that Veerappan was given necessary guidelines by the TNLA.
