METTUR, (TN), Oct 20: The body of forest brigand Veerappan, who was shot dead in a police encounter on the night of October 18, was buried this morning amid tight security and high drama.
Madhaiyan, elder brother of Veerappan, who had come out of the Coimbatore central prison, on parole, performed the last rites.
The burial took place in a private property, which belonged to Veerappan’s family at Molakudu, near here.
High drama preceded the funeral as police insisted that the body should be burnt. However, the family members, vehemently resisted stating that according to their custom, the body should only be buried.
As an altercation followed between family members and the police, periyar Dravidar Kazhagam activist and supporters of Veerappan Kolathur Mani, Puduvai Sugumaran and Prof Kalyani and advocate Chandrasekhar intervened. They convinced the police that the family should be allowed to bury the body as per their custom and argued with the police that they had “no business to interfere” with the family custom.
A large number of villagers and relatives gathered at the burial ground to pay their last respects.
Last night, the body was taken from the Dharmapuri Government hospital straight to the burial ground. The police did not allow it to be removed to their residence and kept it for public viewing.
The body was kept in an ambulance throughout the night.
Police also insisted that it should be cremated last night itself, only to be resisted by the family members.
Meanwhile, Mr Mani and Muthulakshmi, wife of Veerappan, demanded a judicial probe into the killing by a retired or a sitting Judge of Madras High Court.
Mr Mani said since the STF had “lured” Veerappan to their “well-laid trap,” they could have “easily captured him alive.” the so-called encounter was a fake and the murder was a pre-planned one by the STF, he charged.
UNI / 20.10.2004.
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