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TN beefs up STF to nail Veerappan

Stung by elusive forest brigand Veerappan's audacity in looting the Vellitiruppur police station in Bhavani taluk, the Tamil Nadu government has strengthened the Special Task Force set up to nab the fugitive by inducting three more commandants and an inspector general of police and also stepped up the combing operation.

Director General of Police F C Sharma, who held a high-level meeting yesterday in the Andhiyur forest area along with top police officials of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, today held detailed discussions with Home Secretary R Poornalingam at the secretariat in Madras.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Sharma said the government was determined to nab the sandalwood smuggler by raiding all his hideouts in the forest. The STF had been strengthened with the addition of 500 men, 250 each from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

He said that in addition to Commandant Ashok Kumar Das, three more commandants, all in the rank of superintendent of police, would join the force to intensify the combing operations. If necessary, helicopters would also be used in the search operation, he added.

Inspector General of Police Balachandar would also join the force to assist P Kalimuthu, commander of the joint STF and coordinate the search operations, Poornalingam said.

Meanwhile, the police were conducting house to house searches at Vellithirupur village.

Police sources said the searches were being made by a police team headed by Erode Superintendent of Police Seema Aggarwal, following information that a villager had helped the gang to carry out the attack on the police station.

UNI

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