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Tamil Nadu
By K.T. Sangameswaran
SUPERSTITIOUS START:The group of trees at the Kuttai hamlet under which Veerappan sacrificed a goat before setting out to attack a police party at Arepalayam on Kollegal Road in 1996.
Knowing the terrain like the back of his hand, Veerappan adopts a `catch me, if you can' attitude. He keeps a low profile even while playing the hide-and-seek game. Veerappan has only two aides with him — Sethukuzhi Govindan and Chandre Gowder. The art of survival has taught him that guerrilla tactics may be a foolproof method to evade the police. Usually, he does not stay in a particular place, lest his whereabouts are known to the police and the locals. In almost all places where he stayed, the police noticed traces of the `quick meal' he had before moving on. Veerappan does not use the paths meandering through the thick jungles as his footprints could provide clues to the police. Information is that he rarely uses slippers. The gang members do not open fire as it may betray their presence. The STF personnel, while conducting combing operations, make noises, such as clucking, to communicate with their colleagues. Even a ``hardened criminal'' such as Veerappan seems to be superstitious. He considers it a bad omen if a particular bird species crosses his path when he is about to leave a place. For him and the tribals as well, certain trees have divine significance. He is said to have sacrificed a goat at a small temple that stands under three trees that have grown side by side at Kuttai, before setting out to attack a police party, which included the then Superintendent of Police, Tamilselvan and Inspector Mohan Nawaz, at Arepalayam on the Kollegal Road, in February 1996. A constable, Selvaraj, died, and the SP and others suffered injuries. His gang lay in wait for 20 days for the police team to cross the place, reveals Mr. Nawaz, who is with the STF. For the STF personnel, the going has not been smooth. Police personnel suffer from ailments such as tick bites owing to the dry weather, says the Additional DGP, STF, R. Natraj. They face the risk of being attacked by animals such as bison, elephants, boars and bears. Many suffered injuries while escaping from them. A constable suffered a fracture while escaping from a boar. There were instances when elephants came close to the personnel's camps and played havoc. The STF personnel survive on dry food such as chappathis, dates, biscuits and groundnuts and wait for information on Veerappan's movements. When there is water shortage, the policemen depend on raw onion and vegetables such as tomatoes. They comb the forests during the day and ``ghost walk'' in the night. Apart from the operations based on intelligence, there are ``chance encounter teams''. Every month, the personnel undergo physical endurance tests and commando training. They also receive training in bomb disposal. A `dog squad' is also being trained. Veerappan and his gang members have shuttled between the Bargur to Thalamalai forests about a dozen times in the last one and a half years, which forced the STF has put up an observation post at Karikaalmokkai. ``It may be just one gang. But the operation is not complete without catching Veerappan,'' says an STF official.
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