Veerappan's wife demands CBI probe against STF

Muthulakshmi, wife of slain forest brigand Veerappan, on Friday sought a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged atrocities committed by Special Task Force personnel during the hunt to nab him.

Hitting out at former Director General of police and Inspector General of Karnataka S M Bidari, Muthulakshmi described Bidari who was then deputy commander of the Special Task Force, constituted to nab Veerappan, as "an inhuman person with no concern for women whatsoever".

Addressing a press meet in Bengaluru, she recounted the alleged atrocities committed by  STF against tribal women, including rape and administering electric shocks, and said "the very reason we did not speak about this was that we were in mortal fear of losing our lives".

Muthulakshmi alleged that she was not allowed to express her opinion before the Sadashiva Commission, which probed the alleged atrocities of the STF, as she was in custody of Tamil Nadu police then.

In response to the Karnataka High Court striking down the appointment of Bidari as state DGP and IG recently, she said " it is a good judgment. However, I want the CBI to probe the atrocities committed by the STF in Karnataka".

Referring to a film being made on Veerappan "Attahasa" (Kannada) and "Vanyudham" (its Tamil version) by M R Ramesh, a resident of Bengalouru, she said she had filed a plea in Madras high court seeking a stay on the movie and it is pending.

"The person has no right to make a film about the personal life of my late husband or me.It violates human rights", she said.

Veerappan, who was embroiled in cases of murder and poaching besides smuggling of sandalwood, was shot dead by the Special task force of the Tamil Nadu police in 2004.

Muthulakshmi was handed over to Tamil Nadu police on April 25,2011 in connection with a case pending against her in Erode district after being released from Bangalore Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara following her acquittal in all the five cases against her in Karnataka.