MADRAS (PTI):Twenty one police personnel, members of a special commando force were killed and 28 others injured, when aland mine planted by the gang of notorious poacher and Sandalwood smuggler, Veerappan, went off at Palar bridge near border ¢ the southern Indian states of Karnatka and Tamil Nadu on April 9.
Police here said while 20 policemen were killed on the spot, another succumbed to injuries at the Mettur hospital, where the injured were undergoing treatment.
The task force was heading for a combing operation against the gang in the area in the wake of killing of a police informant by the gang recently. The blast occurred when the vehicles passed through the land mine laid by the gang.
Police said according to their information a 20member gang, led .y Arjuna, brother of Veerappan, visited Govindapadi village in connection with a festival virtually searched in vain each and every house to track the police informer.
Veerappan, who has eluded a police dragnet for years, usually takes refuge in deep jungles. On familiar grounds, he has hit back ruthlessly at almost every police raid and has a trail of murder charges against him.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 16, 1993
