Former Veerappan aide nabbed after 11-yr hunt

CHENNAI: The anti-terrorist wing of Ariyallur police on Wednesday arrested Raju alias Selvam (37), a Tamil extremist and member of the banned

Tamil National Retrieval Troops (TNRT). He was an associate of forest brigand Veerappan and was reportedly involved in the abduction of Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar in 2000.

He was evading police for the past 11 years. Raju was picked up from his house at Melakudiyiruppu under Jayamkondam police station limits on Wednesday night and remanded in judicial custody on Thursday.

Raju, son of Ramasamy, a prohibition offender, shot into notoriety with the attack on Vellithiruppur police station in Erode district in 1998. The same year, he was involved in the abduction of a businessman, Solairaj, at Karaikudi in Sivagangai district. He later joined Veerappan when the brigand was falling short of men in his gang. It was Raju's association with TNRT leader Suba Ilavarasan which brought him close to Veerappan. Ilavarasam too was involved in the abduction of Rajkumar.

According to the police, after leaving Veerappan's gang, Raju ganged up with PMK functionary Vaithilingam and eliminated his arch rival and Tamil National Liberation Army (TNLA) leader Arivalagan in 2004. Earlier that year, they had made an abortive bid to eliminate Arivalagan, they said. The TNRT, a breakaway unit of the banned TNLA, is no longer active.

Ariyallur district has traditionally been the hub of Tamil separatists, many of whom had close links with Veerappan. Hence, the district police had formed an anti-terrorist squad, a compact but specialised group to crack down on such elements.

"We have ten policemen in the rank of constables as members of this anti-terrorist squad and it is headed by a sub inspector of police. They are specialists in fighting Tamil extremist wings. This wing has successfully neutralised many designs of extremists," said Ariyalur superintendent of police, Najmul Hoda.

The squad had been tracking the movement of Raju ever since reports emerged that he was visiting his village often, Hoda said.