Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

STF pulled back at Karnataka instance

By Radha Venkatesan

Chennai Nov. 6. In a setback to the efforts at searching for the jungle outlaw, Veerappan, Karnataka has asked the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force not to enter its forest areas, bringing to an end a renewed joint hunt. In a recent communique, Karnataka has told Tamil Nadu that its STF personnel should limit their operations to its soil and should not move into the neighbouring forest land.

Soon after the receipt of the communique, the personnel posted on the fringes of the forest have been pulled back and they are continuing with their vigil from inside the State forests, a senior government official confirmed today. Consequently, the joint operation by the two States, resumed with vigour after Jayalalithaa returned to power in Tamil Nadu last May, has been halted. Even over a month ago, the STF chiefs held a meeting in Tamil Nadu forests to draw up a joint strategy for the capture of the bandit.

However, the State Government is of the view that Veerappan, who abducted the former Karnataka Minister, H. Nagappa, on August 25, is not on Tamil Nadu soil. "Though there is no flow of information from the Karnataka STF, we are maintaining vigil and are certain that Veerappan is not here," the official said.

But the State STF received information that the outlaw recently requisitioned the services of a Karnataka doctor to attend on Mr. Nagappa.

Nagappa family meets Jayalalithaa

Meanwhile, with the Karnataka Government rejecting Veerappan's demand for sending its Minister, Raju Gowda, as emissary, the desperate family of Mr. Nagappa including his wife, Parimalam, was in Chennai today to plead with Ms. Jayalalithaa for her intervention to secure his release. After a half-hour meeting, Mr. Nagappa's daughter, Pavan Kiran, said: "Like their joint operation to nab Veerappan, the two States should jointly secure the release of my father." As Veerappan wanted the Periyar Dravida Kazhgam leader, Kolathur Mani, now in a Karnataka prison facing three cases, "we came to speak to the Chief Minister regarding that." While Mr. Nagappa's son, Preethan, claimed that the Chief Minister had assured the family all possible assistance after obtaining legal advice, officials insisted that the Government had given no promise. "The Chief Minister only said, "we will do what is possible if Karnataka seeks our assistance." As Mr. Mani was in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu had no role in bringing the kidnap drama to an end. Soon after the abduction, when Karnataka requested full deployment of Central forces in its forest terrain, Tamil Nadu acceded to the plea. Now, it is for Karnataka to seek its assistance or resumption of the joint operations, say the State officials.

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