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| India-Pakistan |
| Police arrest Indian bandit widow |
| 2008-11-30 |
| The widow of Veerappan, India's most notorious bandit, has been arrested in the southern state of Karnataka on a number of charges, including murder. Police said Muthulakshmi Veerappan had been "evading capture for a long time". Her husband was shot dead by police in 2004. He had eluded them for 15 years and was accused of 100 killings and a massive amount of ivory smuggling. After his death his widow tried to use his Robin Hood image in an unsuccessful campaign to win local elections. The cases against Muthulakshmi Veerappan include the alleged murder of a forestry official, involvement in an attack on a police station and a bomb explosion that killed 20 policemen on patrol in 1992. She was detained close to the border with Tamil Nadu along with three other associates of Veerappan, officials said. Police said the arrest was delayed as they required time to assess her involvement in Veerappan's actions. In her election campaign in Tamil Nadu in 2006, Muthulakshmi Veerappan was unapologetic about Veerappan's legacy. "Veerappan helped the tribals and poor. I too will fight for your rights," she said at the time. She said she had been detained illegally for a month when police carried out operations to hunt her husband down. The Indian government had offered a 50m rupee ($1m) reward for any information leading to Veerappan's arrest. He was caught in an undercover sting operation and was lured to a location to meet an ambulance that would treat his asthma. Police lying in wait ordered him to surrender but he opened fire, they said. |
| Posted by:john frum |