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Veerappan may have sneaked
into Kerala forests

S Suresh in Palakkad

The Veerappan phobia has at last caught hold of Kerala too.

Keeping away from continuing efforts by neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to nab the forest brigand all these years, Kerala has now been drawn into the Catch Veerappan Operation following ''definite information'' that he and his 12 men were moving towards Kerala's forests, to escape the intensified onslaught of the combined Special Task Force.

The operation in the Siruvani forests in the Agali and Mannarghat forest ranges in Palakkad district of Kerala started on Monday afternoon. This followed definite information from the STF, following an aerial search over Siruvani-Muthikulam-Attapadi forest areas on Sunday.

While STF personnel led by DIG Harshavardhan have been camping in the Velliyankiri forests on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, 100 trained personnel of the Kerala police, including commandos, have been guarding Siruvani.

''Our role is to help the STF and guard the Siruvani forests, unguarded so far. Siruvani is guarded to ensure that Veerappan does not escape through the Kerala forests,'' Palakkad Superintendent of Police Tomin J Thachankeri told UNI.

Thachankeri, leading the operations at Siruvani said on Monday that he would join the Kerala team again at Keralamedu near the Siruvani dam on Tuesday.

He said the Kerala police team was sent to the Siruvani forests following a direction from the STF DIG.

He said though the Kerala personnel were not trained specifically for mountain conditions, they had sufficient training in ambush and combat in forests.

Thachankeri said he had been asked to provide the Kerala personnel for five days. If necessary, the force now deployed at Siruvani would be retained for any number of days.

Forest officials from the Mannarghat and Agali ranges led by range officer Shah Nawaz have been assisting Kerala and the STF forces.

About 15 forest officials and a few tribals were camping in Siruvani. More forest officials will be sent, in shifts, said a top forest official at the Mannarghat office of the DFO.

Thachankeri said a major problem being faced by the Kerala team was a threat from wild animals and the thick forest growth.

Siruvani, known as the purest source of mineral water in India, is also known as the corridor of wild elephants.

Forest officials said it was not easy for those who were not accustomed to forest life, to acclimatise themselves with the Siruvani forests, where there are 59 tribal families scattered around.

''This makes the task of living in the forest tough. There is no electricity. No power is produced from Siruvani because it is kept as the purest source of mineral water. The only guest house has no electricity, but some lights were operated using solar energy,'' a police officer who returned from Siruvani on Tuesday said.

Thachankeri said the STF personnel were still in the Tamil Nadu forests. However, contact was being maintained with them by the Kerala police team. The STF has personnel stationed on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu forests borders.

''Our mission is only to prevent the exit of Veerappan and his men through the forest routes of Kerala.''

UNI

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