Tusk smuggling: Veerappan’s three associates acquitted

A court in Sathyamangalam in Erode district acquitted the three men citing lack of evidence to prove charges against them.  

According to the prosecution, a team of special task force led by inspector MF Hussain was involved in a search for Veerappan and his accomplices on January 27, 2000. The police noticed a group of six persons wandering around carrying a bag in a suspicious manner.

On noticing the police, the men tried to flee, though the personnel chased and rounded them up. A search revealed that they were in possession of 12 elephant tusks, a country-made gun and explosives. Six persons — Shanmugam, Rajendran, Jawahar, Govindarajan, Arumugam and Chandra Gowder — were arrested and inquiries revealed that they were taking the tusks for selling them in Kerala. Police also booked Veerappan as they were involved in the act only at his behest.

During the course of the trial, Veerappan, Chandra Gowder and Govindarajan died. While Arumugam went into hiding, three others were imprisoned in the Coimbatore Central Prison. On hearing the case, judge K Kumarasivam acquitted Shanmugam, Rajendran and Jawahar as their offence could not be proved beyond doubt since the Forest Department failed to produce witnesses in the case.