The Hindu : STF nabs 2 wanted men near Sathyamangalam court

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 03, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

STF nabs 2 wanted men near Sathyamangalam court

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, APRIL 2. Special teams of the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Special Task Force last evening nabbed two `most wanted' Tamilar Viduthalai Iyakkam (TVI) activists in Erode district in connection with the abduction of the former Karnataka Minister, H. Nagappa, in 2002.

According to a Mysore report, the two were produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class court in Kollegal in Chamrajnagar district in Karnataka and remanded to judicial custody till April 16. The court had issued an arrest warrant against them for their alleged involvement in the kidnap and killing of Nagappa.

Nagappa, who was abducted on August 25, 2002 from near Kamagere in Chamrajnagar district, was found dead after 45 days.

Muthukumar and Kuzhanchi, both aged 26, hailing from Cuddalore and Perambalur districts, were cited as accused in the conspiracy hatched for the abduction of Nagappa. Based on a tip-off, the two were picked up near a magistrate's court at Sathyamangalam. They were said to be waiting to meet members of a group owing allegiance to Arivazhagan (who were being regularly produced in the Sathyamangalam court in connection with another case).

According to STF sources, Muthukumar and Kuzhanchi had plans to re-establish contacts with the brigand, Veerappan, and re-enter the forests to join him for escaping from increasing police surveillance in their districts.

Our Bangalore Staff Reporter reports:

According to Karnataka police sources, Subha Ilavarasan's TVI played a major role in the abduction of Nagappa, who died in Veerappan's captivity. Muthukumar and Kuzhanchi were also said to have been involved in a burglary at Mayiladuturai.

The TVI is a new `avatar' of the Tamil National Retrieval Troops, which assisted Veerappan in kidnapping the Kannada actor, Rajkumar, in July 2000, the sources say.

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