<![CDATA[CHAMARAJANAGARA: Following the killing of Veerappan in 2004, several of his associates who were booked in several criminal cases in the district police stations had assumed that they can escape the long arm of the law easily. But Chamarajanagara district police are now in a mission to trace them and send them back into the jail. Fifty six former associates of Veerappan who are absconding since decades together are now under the radars of the district police. This drive has resulted in the arrest of two former colleagues of Veerappan in last one month. Both of them were leading a quiet life with their family in the border villages of the district. Chamarajanagar Superintendent of Police (SP) Dharmendra Kumar Meena informed that two DySP level officers are deputed to complete this follow up task. "Along with tracing former associates of Veerappan, we are looking into old absconding cases across the district where the accused are still at large. Efforts are done to trace these accused". It can be recalled that on September 13, Ramapura police of the district had arrested Murugesh bin Gurunatha (46 years), a resident of Aathur vollage near Hanur who was absonding since last two decades. On August 20, Ramapura police had arrested Shivaswamy alias Double Gundi (55) who was absconding since 25 years ago. Gundi was a resident of Veppade village in Erode district in Tamil Nadu. According to SP Dharmendra Kumar Meena, till now 274 accused in 81 cases registered against former forest brigand Veerappan have been arrested. But 56 fomer associates are still at large. "They were not attended the court proceedings also,". According to the sources in the department, district police decision to open the pending cases come as a real test for policing skills of the department personnel. "Most of these absconding cases are nearly two-three decades old. Accused have migrated from their native villages to border areas. It is not easy to trace them with little evidence available. But this initiative has proved that no one can escape from the long arm of the law. It is like a warning bell to all those who are absconding," a Police officer told who wished to be unnamed.]]>
