The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Imam Ali hunters feel let down

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 01, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Imam Ali hunters feel let down

By S. Vijay Kumar

MADURAI, OCT. 31. The one-stage promotion given to Special Task Force personnel involved in the Veerappan operation has raised eyebrows in police circles.

While officials who led the operation against Imam Ali have already written to the Director-General of Police explaining how ``depressed'' they felt, some senior officers are contemplating moving court against the accelerated promotions to 750-plus policemen, including IPS officers, which they claim was ``unprecedented'' and ``unjustifiable.''

The promotions for all ranks were part of the prize package the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, announced for the STF personnel hours after the forest brigand and his associates were gunned down in an encounter in Dharmapuri district on October 18.

In a representation to the DGP (Law and Order), a copy of which was made available to The Hindu , a Madurai police officer has highlighted the significance of the operation in which the militant, Imam Ali, and four associates were gunned down in Bangalore on September 29, 2002.

He said Imam Ali was detrimental to internal security and had plans to eliminate VVIPs, including political and religious leaders. It was after six months of untiring efforts that the small team led by the then Deputy Commissioner, Shakeel Akther, tracked down the militants in their hideout.

(Armed gangsters rescued Imam Ali and Hyder Ali from police custody after a shootout at the Tirumangalam Taluk police station near here on March 7, 2002. Hyder Ali was nabbed within a couple of days in Sivaganga district.)

Continuing process

Narrating the sequence from Imam Ali's escape to his encounter death, the official pointed out that the action against fundamentalists was a continuing process. Lack of exposure left the police personnel ``depressed'' and they felt ``let down'' without proper recognition.

The continued activities of Imam Ali and his followers would have led to large-scale communal disturbances. ``The elimination of Imam Ali, who was seen as a rallying point, almost put an end to fundamentalist activities in Tamil Nadu,'' said a former Assisstant Commissioner, who was part of the operation.

Quoting the confessions made by Imam Ali in the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) a few years ago, the officials said the Hizb-ul Mujahideen-trained militant was an expert in handling sophisticated weapons and making improvised explosive devices.

Though almost all personnel involved in the operation risked their lives and were still under threat from banned outfits, they were honoured only with gallantry medals. Proposals for accelerated promotions were turned down, the Assisstant Commissioner said, adding he had also made a representation to the Government seeking ``due'' recognition.

Meanwhile, some officials in the south zone are waiting for the STF promotion orders to be made public so that they can raise ``legitimate'' objections through the proper channel.

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