Bangalore: Her agonising face on televisions and newspapers two years ago after her husband was kidnapped by forest brigand Veerappan was a constant remainder of a trauma of a family haunted by the episode.

Today (Oct 19, 2004), the Nagappa family believes that the God has finally delivered the "justice".

"It they (Special Task Force) had done it (ending the Veerappan chapter) before, many lives would have been saved. It would have been good for us also (my husband would not have been kidnapped). Anyway, it's good that they have done it now," Parimala Nagappa said in Bangalore.

Her husband Nagappa, a former Minister, was abducted by Veerappan in 2002, the last such act by the elusive bandit before he was killed last night, and his body was recovered three-and-half-months later in forests under mysterious circumstances when he was in Veerappan's custody.

"Good that a cruel animal has gone. Had he been captured alive, many truths would have come out. But then, they (STF) say it (catching him alive) would not have been possible as well. Anyway, secrets would not remain as secrets for long," Parimala said.

Nagappa's daughter Priyanka, who saw from her own eyes her father being kidnapped, said, "We feel the God has given us justice finally. God is with us now. He was not with us when my father was kidnapped."