Madurai: Forest brigand Veerappan has been surrounded in the MM hills area by the
Special Task Force (STF) forces of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and would find it
very difficult to escape their dragnet, the Tamil Nadu director general of police
(DGP) R Rajagopalan, said on February 19.
"Veerappan is holed up now and he will be nabbed very soon," he told reporters.
The DGP, who had himself ventured into the forest recently and stayed there for
three days for an on-the-spot assessment of the progress made in efforts to nab
Veerappan, said police had fixed four "points" for intensive combing operations.
These were Ilanjikarai, Kattakarai and Palaru in Tamil Nadu and Chengadi on the
Karnataka side, he said.
He expressed confidence that police officials from both states would make a headway
in nabbing the brigand, irrespective of the thickness of the forest cover.
Asked to comment about reports of Veerappan planning to strike again, he ruled out
the possibility and shot back, "How can a man on the run in a restricted area
strike?"
The DGP, who was speaking to reporters after visiting an STF constable in hospital
who was injured in an accident, said the government would meet all the treatment
expenses.
PTI
