TN forces on nab Veerappan mission

TN forces on nab Veerappan mission
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Chennai/Bangalore, Nov 20: Tamil Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today announced the resumption of Special Task Force (STF) operations to capture forest brigand Veerappan while his Karnataka counterpart S M Krishna said he would outline the Government's strategies, in a statement in both the House of the Legislature tomorrow.

Karunandihi told reporters here after a meeting with top police officials that the STF was being strengthened with the induction of DIG, three more SPs and additional police personnel.

STF special camps in the forest areas would be increased and police personnel would be given modern weapons to nab Veerappan and his associates, he said.

STF, headed by Inspector General of Police K Balachandran, would function with perfect co-ordination with Karnataka STF, he said adding, Tamil Nadu would not take any unilateral action.

He said Tamil Nadu, if necessary, would seek help from the Centre, including assistance of army, to nab Veerappan.

He said STF had been instructed to go ahead with the operations without causing any harrasment to the tribals in the forests. He admitted that STF had committed atrocities during the AIADMK rule.

On the statement issued by Veerappan and his associate that they would work for creation of Tamil Desam, Karunanidhi said the Government would not allow any militancy or terrorism. `We will not allow even a semblance of violence in the state', he asserted.

He parried a question on Tamil National Movement leader P Nedumaran's statement that STF operations should not be resumed.

He rejected an opposition demand for a white paper on Rajkumar abduction issue, on the plea that a lot of things had already appeared in the press.

Asked whether the state had decided to resume STF operations after a `negative impact' on it was created among the public after Rajkumar was abducted, he said `We are governed by our conscience'.

He denied that the state government was soft towards Veerappan. On the release of Tamil TADA detenus in Karnataka prisons, he said he respected the Supreme Court's verdict, which had effectively prevented their release.

Earlier, Karunanidhi had discussions with Chief Secretary A P Muthusamy, Home Secretary Shanta Sheela Nair, R Rajagopalan, DGP, C Alexender, Additional DGP, former STF chief and city police commissioner P Kalimuthu and K Ramanujam IG (Intelligence).

Tamizhselvan, DIG, Periyaiah, Asokh Kumar Dass and Shylendra Babu, SPs, had been deputed to STF. They would hold additional charge, Karunanidhi said.

Earlier, speaking to reporters here, Krishna said he would be discussing the future course of action the state had in mind to `eradicate the brigand's menace' with opposition party leaders at an all-party meeting this evening.

This is the seventh all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister after the bandit kidnapped Kannada thespian Rajkumar and the one after the actor's release.

About the statement of the State Director General of Police, C Dinkar,that the Special Task Force (STF) was raring to go to nab Veerappan `dead or alive', Krishna said he had asked the Chief Secretary, B K Bhattacharya to verify the `athenticity of the statement', apparently expressing his displeasure.

Krishna refused to react when asked whether the state would request the Centre to deploy commandos for the operations in the light of Union Home Minister L K Advani's statement that the centre was ready to help Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, Home Minister M Mallikarjuna Kharge, refusedto comment on the future plans of the government to nab Veerappan and added the Chief Minister would be making a statement in the legislature tomorrow.