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Is the STF capable of catching Veerappan?

Sadananda R in Chamarajanagar

With the Karnataka government deciding to hunt down Veerappan, the question doing the rounds is whether the Special Task Force is capable of carrying out the task assigned to it, given its none too encouraging track record.

The STF, jointly formed by the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments almost a decade back, has been bogged down by the frequent transfer of top officials and alleged atrocities of the STF personnel on the residents of the Sathyamangalam forest range, where the forest brigand has set up his hideout.

Locals, wary of STF's notoriety, rarely come forward to provide information about the forest brigand's whereabouts, making the task of nabbing him difficult.

For all its efforts, the STF has just managed to bring down the number of members in Veerappan's gang.

On the other hand, the efficacy of Veerappan's intelligence network, built on a combination of terror and largesse, is visible in the daring attacks the forest brigand has mounted on the STF personnel, not to mention the abductions.

As allegations of atrocities by the STF mount, Veerappan gains more friends among the forest residents.

The second question that is being asked is whether the STF personnel are fit enough to endure the tough forest terrain and keep up with the constantly mobile forest brigand.

To join the STF one has to run 100 metres in 20 seconds, carry 20 kilos of weight and walk for 25 kilometres. Pot bellied officers and apparently uninterested constables, however, hardly inspire confidence.

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The Abduction of Dr Rajakumar
The Hunt for Veerappan

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