Victims8217; kin question govt surrender8217;

Relatives of police officials who laid down their lives for the country say the state government 8220;should respect the sacrifice8221;.

Sukanya Ramalingu, wife of Sub-Inspector Ramalingu who was killed in an encounter at Hogenakkal Falls, says she 8220;will move court to stop this, if need be8221;.

8220;If this is the government8217;s attitude, the only option is a legal reprieve as a mark of respect to my husband8217;s ultimate sacrifice.8221;

Even thought she wants to see Rajkumar8217;s release, Sukanya plans to seek the help of other victims to fight against the state8217;s decision to release the TADA detenues.

This wouldn8217;t be the first time that she8217;s up in arms against the establishment. In fact, when the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister had belittled the efforts of STF, 8220;I filed a case against M Karunanidhi8221;, she says.

Incidentally, one of the victim8217;s father, Abdul Kareem, blamed Karunanidhi for the present impasse. Sukanya said SI Shakeel Ahmed 8212; Kareem8217;s son 8212; and SP Harikrishna, were killed in an ambush at Meenyam when they had ventured to nab Veerappan 8220;knowing full well that the brigand would take to such nasty tricks8221;.

They laid their lives for the country. 8220;How can the state government think of releasing the associates of Veerappan who has 130 lives on his hands?8221;

A police officer once attached to the Special Task Force, who had taken the brunt of Veerappan8217;s attack, feels strongly about granting Veerappan a reprieve. 8220;Veerappan should not be pardoned whatever be the stake, he says.

However, he was more sympathetic on the issue of release of TADA detenues, saying most of the 51 were innocent. Many have been languishing in jail since eight years and this 8220;is the maximum sentence they deserve8221;.

Shakeel Ahmed8217;s father, however, insists that the fight against the release of the detenues was on. He also wanted the Tamil Nadu Government to be dismissed for colluding with the brigand. The sacrifice of brave policemen should not be belittled, he says, echoing Sukanya and so many others in a similar position.