The Hindu : STF seeks to break Veerappan's Robin Hood image

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 02, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

STF seeks to break Veerappan's Robin Hood image

By V.S. Palaniappan

Sathyamangalam MAY 1. The Special Task Forces of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have begun a concerted effort to break the `Robinhood' image of the brigand, Veerappan, among tribals, listing offences and excesses he committed during the past decade.

R. Nataraj, Additional Director-General of Police, (Tamil Nadu STF), told The Hindu that a two-pronged strategy was adopted. One, tightening vigil and intensifying combing operations to exert pressure on the gang, which was on the run in search of water and food, and two, organisinga campaign to wean away the tribals from Veerappan's influence.

In the past one decade, `Koose' Munusamy alias Veerappan of Gobinatham handed over huge amounts to the tribals and established the `Robinhood' image. The TNSTF put up wall-paintings and posters and brought folk artistes to the villages. A troupe visited the hamlets "vulnerable" to the bandit's movements, interacted with the villagers and staged dramas, skits and streetplays, explaining the excesses and outrage committed by the gang and the number of families affected.

While the STF SP, N.K. Senthamaraikannan, wrote the script incorporating the particulars of the offences, excesses, murders, smugglings and abductions, other officers identified villages where the artistes would perform. The artistes used the local dialect, besides Tamil and Kannada.

A huge banner will was getting ready to be put up at the Bannari Amman temple, depicting `samharam' of Veerappan by the Goddess to woo devotees, largely from the Western Ghats.

The Karnataka STF printed handbills detailing his offences in two languages, for distribution in all hamlets. The joint STF appealed to the sentiments and psychology of the tribals, instead of exerting pressure or harassing them to secure cooperation with the police.

Poacher's profile

The handbills listed the offences committed by the brigand and urged the tribals to tip off the STF and get a Rs. 5.5-crore cash reward. To state a few: "Veerappan is not a "Robinhood" as he poses to be, he is a hardcore criminal. He has smuggled 40,00 kg tusk worth Rs. 12 crores, besides felling sandalwood worth Rs. 100 crores. He has killed over 2,000 male elephants for tusks."

Veerappan had murdered 32 police personnel and the killing of ten forest personnel, in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, left women widows and families orphaned. The murder of 29 civilians in Karnataka and 51 in Tamil Nadu made 80 women widows.

As many as 61 persons suffered grievous injuries in the attacks by the brigand and his associates.

Eightyfive cases of murders, looting and abductions were pending trial.

A poacher from the age of 12, Veerappan committed the first murder when he was 27, and records reveal that he committed 124 murders, of which 105 were reported.

The offences included 13 abductions for ransom, murder of officials and police informants, besides half-a-dozen incidents of ambush and attacks on police parties.

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