CHENNAI, AUG 20: For the 47-year-old Veerappan, who has killed over 117 men, it is ``third time lucky'' as far as his offer of surrender goes. On earlier occasions his offers were turned down. This time, the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Governments agreed to accept his offer, raising his hopes of a new life sans struggle and bloodshed.

On previous occasions, when he resorted to kidnapping and made an offer of surrender, the governments did not relent. This time, his package of release of those in captivity and securing a new lease of life through surrender has worked.

On its part, the government has from time to time assigned the task of nabbing Veerappan to various law enforcing bodies though without much success. In 1989, Special Task Force (STF) was instituted by the DMK Government. Later, a Forest Cell-CID Inspector General of Police F C Sharma was appointed for the purpose. Veerappan's gang first kidnapped three police officials in December 1994, near the farm houses in Kanthayur village in Coimbatore district.

However, the kidnapped personnel managed to escape. This was immediately followed by STF onslaught which was led personally by the then STF chief W I Dawaram of Tamil Nadu. Veerappan's brother Arjunan and his two gang members Ayyandurai and Rangasamy surrendered before the police.

In 1995 November, three forest officials were kidnapped by the gang again in Anthiyur forests in Erode and a ransom of Rs five crore was sought. After 20 days, the hostages were set free after an amount of Rs 3-5 lakh was paid unofficially.

Since then, Veerappan has been sending cassettes through a Tamil weekly Nakkeeran about his decision to surrender which the Tamil Nadu government took seriously.

But as the Karnataka government refused to accept the offer, TN was forced to keep quiet. Meanwhile, the TN STF were given instructions not to continue their efforts to nab Veerappan while the Karnataka STF ventured into the Tamil Nadu forests.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.