The Hindu : Focus on farm houses in combing operations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2002

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National

Focus on farm houses in combing operations

By R. Krishna Kumar

MYSORE AUG. 27. The sudden spate of activity in Karnataka by the Special Task Force follows the growing belief that Veerappan could not have crossed the Palar-Satyamangalam forest region, according to STF sources. A senior official said there were specific intelligence reports about the movement of Veerappan and hence all routes were being sealed to prevent his possible escape.

The heightened STF activity follows the assessment that the forests surrounding Kamagere, where Veerappan was sighted on Sunday, are neither dense nor thick but are more in the nature of jungles.

Combing operations have also assumed a new dimension with the focus on about 50 farm houses adjoining the forests in the vicinity of the Gundal reservoir area in Kollegal taluk. Incidentally, Gundal is a well-fortified STF base camp from where operations are carried out in Burude and Gundal forests.

Senior police officials said the focus on farm houses was necessitated following the abduction of Mr. Nagappa from his farm house at Kamagere on Sunday. Asked if they had information about the number of such houses, they said that "even the paths leading to the farm houses had been well-mapped". A similar vigil was being kept on all places replete with farm houses adjoining the forest regions.

TNLF conspiracy?

The confirmed presence of eight persons with Veerappan when Mr. Nagappa was abducted has raised a few disturbing questions, giving a new perspective.

It was widely believed that the Veerappan's gang had been smashed by the relentless operation of the STF over the years and that Sethukoli Govindan and Chandran were the only remaining hardcore members left with the brigand. Even the Arakesh report which was submitted in May 2000 had stated that the gang was left with three active members apart from five recruits from the Tamil Nadu Liberation Front (TNLF) which came into picture during the abduction of the Kannada cine star, Rajkumar. However, their leaders were rounded up following a crackdown on the outfit's activities.

Sources close to the STF hinted that it was the second line of leadership within the TNLF which had taken over following the arrest of its top leaders. The theory gains some credibility since none of the eight persons sighted with Veerappan on Sunday was a local person or a Soliga tribal, according to eyewitnesses who were in the bus in which Veerappan took a lift after shaking hands with the passengers.

Intelligence sources corroborated the view and said the second line of leaders masterminding the activities could have persuaded Veerappan to carry out the abduction to divert the attention of the Tamil Nadu Government which had intensified its crackdown on such outfits.

The fact that the abduction was carried out in Karnataka reinforces the theory that the TNLF could not have acted in such a way in Tamil Nadu without the risk of alienating the local people further.

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