Bangalore, Aug 28: Armed with the political mandate to flush out forest brigand Veerappan from his jungle hideout, Special Task Forces of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are have launched joint combing operations today as the kidnap saga involving Janata Dal leader H Nagappa entered the fourth day today. The Karnataka STF has already stepped up the combing operations and fanned out across M M Hills and adjoining forest ranges in Chamrajnagar district amid reports that its previous head Kempiah has been recalled to take charge of anti-Veerappan operations.
The kidnap drama that began on Sunday night is expected to drag on for some days with Veerappan indicating in his cassette sent to the Karnataka government that he would be sending another cassette.
The sandalwood smuggler, who has remained elusive for two decades, may face a fresh offensive from security forces after the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu chief ministers S M Krishna and Jayalalithaa agreed in New Delhi yesterday to request central help in providing helicopters, remote sensing and interception equipment and surveillance aircraft.
Para-military forces trained in jungle operations to assist the STF were also requisitioned from the Centre to track down Veerappan. Bureau Report