No complaint of police excesses: Dawaram

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, AUG. 2. The Joint Commandant of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Special Task Force, Mr. Walter Isaac Dawaram, categorically ruled out any preconditions in connection with the surrender of the forest brigand Veerappan.

Mr. Dawaram was speaking to newsmen at the Coimbatore airport on Wednesday along with the new DGP of Karnataka, Mr. V.V. Bhaskar, who came on a familiarisation visit and to oversee the STF operations.

The options available before the force was to secure Veerappan or exert pressure on him and make him surrender. This was made clear by the Chief Minister in the Assembly. No body had the powers for granting amnesty and it was a non-issue, Mr. Dawaram said.

He assured that there would be no threat to the life of the brigand in the event of his arrest or even if he surrendered and nothing more could be assured.

Mr.Dawaram said in the last forty five days of the operation, there had been no single complaint about police excesses from the villagers or from the human rights organisations.

There had been no hostility towards the force from any quarters. The STF enjoyed a very good understanding with the tribals and all issues relating to their basic needs were taken up with the administration and resolved, Mr. Dawaram said.

Only one fourth of the force comes out of the jungles for food and rest and the rest remain there to maintain a continuity.

The Operation Veerappan remained the top priority of both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, that was why the Karnataka DGP on the next day of assuming office was taking stock of the situation, he said.

The STF of both the states were working with unity and there had been no jurisdictional areas, he said. Mr.Bhaskar, said ``it was a great professional challenge before the force and said it would get at the accused earlier than you speculate and we expect''. Karnataka would accord top priority and unstinted co- operation, he added.

Since more information on the operations outside the jungle, would help the enemy, the Karnataka DGP said operational details would ``neither be disclosed nor discussed with the media''. The secrecy was to ensure that the operations were not hampered, he added.

Mr.Bhaskar also added that DIG of Karnataka, Mr. Jothi Prakash Mirji had been appointed as Chief Logistics Liaison officer to ensure that every demand for accomplishing the mission was met with.

Mr.Dawaram said the question of involving Kerala in the operations does not arise now and it would be sought if required.

He said there was no information on the exact number of Veerappan associates or Tamil extremists. The Karnataka ADGP, Mr. Kempaiah, the Tamil Nadu DIG, Mr.S.T. Tamizh Selvan, and others were present. The officials were expected to proceed to Sathyamangalam, the STF base camp in Erode district.

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