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Three policemen injured in attack

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Aug. 11. Three policemen were injured, one seriously, when an armed gang of hooch distillers thwarted a covert attempt by the police to nab "Veerappan'' Manian, the king-pin of a criminal gang controlling large scale illicit hooch distillation operations on the hilly tracts of Inchapura area in Aryanad police station limits on Sunday afternoon.

The injured policemen were identified as Sasidharan (ASI- Aryanad Police Station), Nelson (HC) and Bharathan (PC). The SP (Rural), Mr. G. Lekshman, said that Manian, who is wanted in more than a score of abkari related offences, had been evading arrest for the past several years.

At around 1 p.m, the rural police received a tip-off that Manian was at his house. In order to avoid being detected by Manian's supporters, the policemen went in an autorickshaw to the remote Inchapura area. They entered Manian's house and overpowered him. As Manian was being hustled into the autorickshaw, more than 50 persons surrounded the police team and freed Manian after beating the men.

Mr. Lekshman said that there were three major hooch distilling mafia groups operating out of Aryanad. Of this the groups led by the "Uma'' Brothers and "Pisachi'' have been disbanded following the arrest of its leaders. The police have seized several motorbikes used by these gangs to transport hooch. However, Manian's group continues to operate despite the best efforts of the police. The SP said that Manian relied on a extensive network of informants to detect the movements of the police. The hooch distilled in Aryanad was finding its way into the city and suburban areas.

A large police forced headed by the ASP (Nedumangad) have launched a manhunt to arrest the accused.

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