DECCAN INQUIRER
EDITOR: NAGARAJA.M.R ....VOL.21 .. ISSUE...73…....…11/09/2025
PIL - legal prosecution of cruel & inhuman STF police personnel
- An appeal to Honourable Supreme Court of India
During “catch forest brigand veerappan operation” , Special Task Force
police personnel , illegally arrested , detained , tortured &
murdered innocent tribal people of both tamil nadu & Karnataka states. There were also media reports that , STF police were caught by forest officials while stealing forest wealth like precious woods (sandal wood , honne , etc).
NHRC has clearly noted the crimes of STF personnel & ordered both
Karnataka & tamil nadu governments to pay compensation to victims of
police atrocities. However still some of these victims are not yet
paid compensation by these governments , why ? also , the government
instead of legally prosecuting guilty police officers on murder
charges , has given awards & promotion to guilty inhuman police
officers. Is the government sending a message that 3rd degree torture
& murders in lock-up / fake encounters is acceptable & legal ? is it
equitable justice ? is there one set of law for police & another for
common people ?
Hereby , we do once again request your kindself , to dismiss guilty
police officials from police service , to withhold their pension
benefits , to legally prosecute them on charges of murders of
innocent tribal people & on charges of attempt to murder innocent
tribal people by 3rd degree torture methods. Hereby , we also request
you to make public JUSTICE A.J. SADA SHIVA COMMISSION’s findings
about atrocities by STF personnel.
To order the prison authorities to subject the four convicts, accomplices of Veerappan to Narco analysis & Brain mapping tests in a fair manner with unbiased questionnaire.
So that truth will come out about Ex-Minister Nagappa's Murder
case, Amount of Ransoms paid during all kidnap episodes including Movie star Raj Kumar's kidnap episode. Truth will come out about the Minister M.L.As. M.Ps. Police & Forest Officials who have stacked away riches by helping him. Truth will come about Granite quarry owners who helped him. Truth will come out about traders, merchants who traded in goods , sandal wood , Ivory supplied by forest brigand Veerappan.
To order the Govt of Karnataka , to make public the Justice A J
Sadashiva's commission's final report & complete proceedings . Then the truth will come out, how the STF personnel, police tortured tribal people at a place called WORK SHOP IN M M HILLS how they gang raped tribal women repeatedly for days together, how they burnt their breasts, how they pushed sticks smeared with chilli sambar powder into their anus. How the police tied men folk upside down from the ceiling . How many died, unable to bear the shame & torture ? Are not these brutal inhuman STF police personnel fit to be hanged till death, along with four accomplices of Veerappan ?
To order the National Human Rights Commission to make public the findings of its independent enquiry conducted about the police torture on tribal people. Violations of human rights of tribal people in the forest brigand veerappan's Territory i.e. M M Hills.
Jai Hind. Vande Mataram.
Your’s Sincerely,
Nagaraja.M.R.
Veerappan's wife seeks CBI probe into STF atrocities
The wife of slain forest brigand Veerappan, V Muthulakshmi, has sought a detailed CBI probe into alleged atrocities committed on tribals and villagers in MM Hills by personnel of the Special Task Force constituted to nab her husband in the 1990s.
Muthulakshmi welcomed the recent Karnataka high court order striking down Shankar M Bidari's appointment as DG&IG. "But there is still need for a CBI probe into STF atrocities; he was a commandant of that force," she said on Friday.
She alleged Bidari and his team had tortured women, who had no connection with Veerappan, including her. "He administered electric shocks to parts of my body which I cannot even explain. Many women took their lives, orphaning their children," she said.
Muthulakshmi alleged that the film being made on her husband's life - 'Attahasa' (in Kannada) and 'Vamayudham' (Tamil version) - by filmmaker MR Ramesh, is full of lies. She has approached Madrashigh court seeking a stay on its making. "The film infringes on my right to privacy," she added.
'He was a good man'
"Avar Nallavar (He was a nice man)," Muthulakshmi said about her husband, brigand Veerappan, eight years after he was killed in police action.
"It is politicians and police who spoiled him. I know those netas but do not want to take their names," she told TOI. "I am not saying he was faultless. He had shot a few elephants for ivory and axed some sandalwood trees. But he also planted sandalwood saplings, saying the forest shouldn't be emptied," she said.
Shankar Bidari worse than Saddam Hussain, Gaddafi: HC
In a scathing verdict, Karnataka High Court today struck down appointment of Shankar Bidari as state DGP and IG, describing him as "worse than Saddam Hussain or Muammar Gaddafi" for alleged atrocities committed by the STF led by him during the hunt to nab forest brigand Veerappan.
Dismissing as "without merit and substance", petitions by the government and Bidari, challenging the CAT order, the division bench headed by Justice N Kumar held his empanelment by UPSC and consequent appointment as "void and illegal."
Upholding the verdict of Central Administrative Tribunal the court said "in the facts of the case, we cannot find any infirmity in the said decision. It is just".
It struck down Bidari's contentions "absolving himself of the responsibility" of atrocities by stating he was only Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to nab Veerappan and not "omnipresent and omnipotent like Saddam Hussain or Muammar Gaddafi."
"Though he was not one of them, if what the two women (tribals) have said in their affidavit is true, he is worse than them" (Saddam Hussain and Muamar Gadaffi),the court said in its acerbic observations.
The court directed the government should relieve Bidari forthwith and appoint A R Infant in his place. "Otherwise they are answerable to the public of the state".
The court dismissed the memo filed by the government seeking a one week stay of the order. It observed "if the state government has any respect for the rule of law, womanhood, human rights, concern for the downtrodden, tribals, and socially backward communities of the state, they should relieve the third respondent (Bidari) forthwith and appoint the applicant (A R Infant) in that place."
On March 16, CAT had set aside Bidari's appointment as DGP and IG and ruled that Infant should be appointed ad hoc police chief till the government decides on the new appointment.
CAT said government should prepare a fresh list of senior IPS officers and send it to UPSC, which would suggest three names for the top post.
On the court verdict, Infant told PTI "I am lucky that my case was tried by judges with great conviction, both at CAT and High Court. I admire their courage of conviction".
Observing that Chief Minister should have used his discretion while exercising his absolute power in selecting Bidari for the post, the court stated "......but such discretionary power must be exercised with great caution.....the Chief Minister before exercising his power did not see the police records".
Quoting extracts from the National Human Rights Commission report, which was not placed before the Union Public Service Commission before empanelment as it was not considered "relevant", the court stated that NHRC concluded that one woman was a victim of rape and repeated torture, three women were subjected electric currents through different parts of their body, seven subjected to illegal detention and assault, three suffered permanent disability, 11 stripped naked and given electric shocks, 12 unlawfully detained, one was taken into custody but never returned and 60 were killed in encounters out of 36 were killed in "false encounters".
Referring to the affidavits filed by tribal women Erammal and Nagi before an NGO which was produced before the court and indicted Bidari, the court stated "Erammal was taken to Dimbam police camp, beaten with a lathi as a result of which she lost sight in her right eye, She was then taken Mahadeshwara camp where she was stripped naked, beaten and given electric shocks in different parts of her body in front of Bidari".
The court then cited the instance of Nagi who taken to the M M Hills camp, was blindfolded and interrogated by Bidari who passed currents through different parts of her body and then she was gang raped.
The court observed that though the then governments accepted the recommendations of the NHRC accorded compensation to the victims and then DG and IG (Achutha Rao) promised to initiate action against the perpetrators, no action was initiated. Probably they (the then CMs) lacked the "political will and courage" to direct action against these acts.
Taking a swipe at the present day politics, the court observed "people who are in opposition party preach values, criticise the acts of the ruling party. Gullible public believe them and they are voted to power, but when they come to power they realise it is very difficult to practice what they preach and when they are seated in super power (ruling party) all these values evaporate. They succumb to corruption. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely".
Therefore it is immaterial, the court observed which party comes to power, what ideology they believe in, what principles they preach. Once they come to power, they become the ruling party. This is the democracy which is in practice.
It appears that the present day state government and Bidari after occupying the present position seems to have forgotten was was said 15 years back, the court observed. "By characterising this report as "one without jurisdiction, giving the impression that it was not a document of any importance.....government of the day and Bidari are afraid of truth....we are convinced that the report of the Sadashiv Panel, NHRC was deliberately kept back", the court obseved.
There is no disputing the fact, the court stated, that the record of Bidari during his tenure in STF of Karnataka and his bio-data which was prepared by himself wherein he stated the exemplary service that he rendered that won him the gallantry award and a cash prize of Rs 1.68 crore, was placed before the UPSC. "This is the positive side of the story that was placed before the UPSC".
What is clear from the report, the court observed is there were allegations against STF personnel of Karnataka that they committed atrocities on innocent villagers of 48 villages, committed murder, false encounters, rape and torture and 20 written complaints were filed before the NHRC.
On Bidari's contention that he was not personally indicted by NHRC, the court observed that the NHRC has categorically stated that it has not indicted any one as it has been unable to identify the perpetrators of the acts. "This only shows the fairness and application of judicial mind".
The court observed "from the report, it is clear that atrocities were committed by police on the instructions of R3 and while the state and the police assured of action against the culprits, no action has been till date.
What is to be considered, the court observed is whether such a person who has "no concern for women, her rights, her safety and that of the poor tribals, downtrodden and socially backward classes. A person with such a bent of mind can head the state police force to maintain law and order, whether their (public) interests are safe in such hands.
These are the facts which UPSC and the state Chief Minister should have considered while exercising the power conferred on him and it is these factual findings of the Sadashiva panel and the NHRC which the government should have placed before the UPSC. "In the absence of such material, the assessment by the UPSC and state government is vitiated", the court said.
Reflecting on the mindset of Bidari, who wants to absolve himself from the responsibility stating that he was only acting under the supervision and control of Walter Davaram, the commander of the STF, the court observed "even after 15 years, there is no remorse, he is not prepared to accept the responsibility........whatever may the provocation, we cannot tolerate for a second rape...... as a means of investigation by the police".
Finally, in an message to the Chief Minister, the court stated "it is not a legal issue but a moral issue. As a head of the state, what are the various concerns, what is the message he is sending has to be kept in mind. Even now it is not too late to keep the interests of the public in mind and assure that previous dispensation would not be repeated and appropriate action taken".
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STATEMENT
AI Index: ASA 20/002/2008
(Public)
Date: 18 January 2008
India: Many adivasi victims of Special Task Force (STF) operations yet
to get justice and compensation in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Amnesty International is concerned that several adivasi (indigenous
and marginalized communities) victims of the decade-long Special Task
Force (STF) operations against Veerappan, who was killed by the STF
after being outlawed for sandalwood smuggling, are yet to receive
justice and compensation for the human rights violations perpetrated
against them. Human rights violations perpetrated in the course of
operations against Veerappan included unlawful killings; arbitrary
detention; and torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
or punishment (ill-treatment), including sexual violence.
Amnesty International has learnt that, one year after an official
panel of inquiry led by Justice A. J. Sadashiva ordering the
Government of Karnataka to pay compensation to 51 victims, 13 of them
have yet to receive it. The Government of Tamil Nadu has paid
compensation amounts to 38 victims as directed in the order. In
January 2007, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had directed
the two governments to pay compensation to 89 victims as per the
recommendations of the panel of inquiry.
Notwithstanding the above order, during the past year, human rights
organizations in the two states have been campaigning to ensure
justice for 104 other victims whose complaints of human rights
violations including arbitrary and indefinite detention, torture,
including to death, other ill-treatment and sexual assault were
reportedly ignored by the panel. The panel also failed to initiate
charges against any of the 39 STF officials named as perpetrators by
the victims during the proceedings, though it concluded that the STF
had perpetrated torture. However, Amnesty International has learnt
that a number of complaints against 39 STF officials have nevertheless
been filed by the victims in several police stations in Tamil Nadu and
Karnataka.
In spite of the filed complaints, a number of STF personnel named as
perpetrators in the victims' complaints were given awards and
promotions; furthermore, some of the officials named by the victims
were reportedly present in an official function held to distribute
compensation amounts in Karnataka in March 2007, leading to protests
from the victims.
As a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, India is obliged to "ensure that any person whose rights or
freedoms... are violated shall have an effective remedy"; to "ensure
that any person claiming such a remedy shall have his right thereto
determined by competent judicial, administrative or legislative
authorities, or by any other competent authority provided for by the
legal system of the State, and to develop the possibilities of
judicial remedy"; and to "ensure that the competent authorities shall
enforce such remedies when granted."
Amnesty International, therefore, urges
• the Government of Karnataka to immediately distribute compensation
amounts to the 13 remaining victims as per the January 2007 order;
• the authorities of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to thoroughly
investigate the pending human rights complaints against the 39 STF
officials and bring those suspected of perpetrating violations to
justice, in proceedings which meet international standards of fairness
and without the imposition of the death penalty;
• immediately suspend the officials named in the complaints from
active duty pending completion of investigations;
and
• the NHRC to participate in the above cases to help to ensure that
there is justice for the victims.
• the NHRC to re-examine victims' complaints ignored by the official
panel.
Background
In 1993, the Governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had created the
STF to catch Veerappan and his associates who had remained outlawed
for more than seven years. On 21 October 2004, Veerappan and two of
his associates were killed during the STF operations. In all, 36
persons lost their lives during the STF operations.
In June 1999, the NHRC appointed the official panel, consisting of
Justice Sadashiva and a former Director-General of India's premier
investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The
panel submitted its recommendations in December 2003.
FAKE ENCOUNTERS , LOCK-UP DEATHS & 3RD DEGREE TORTURE BY POLICE IN INDIA
Recently, it has been reported in the media , how in gujarath state
high ranking police officials took SUPARI to murder & committed the
murders by giving it the name of encounter. Nowadays , it has become
common place that police take law into their own hands , settle
scores , conducts their own courts of justice like compromise
panchayaths at police stations. All these acts of police are illegal ,
the police must be first thought the lessons of law before enforcing
it. The murderers , criminals in police uniform must be punished at
the earliest.
At the outset , HRW salutes the few honest police personnel who are
silently doing their duties inspite of pressures , harassment by
political bosses & corrupt superiors , inspite of frequent transfers ,
promotion holdups , etc. overcoming the lure of bribe ,those few are
silently doing their duties without any publicity or fanfare. we
salute them & pay our respects to them and hereby appeal to those few
honest to catch their corrupt colleagues.
The police are trained , to crack open the cases of crimes by just
holding onto a thread of clue. Based on that clue they investigate
like "Sherlock holmes" and apprehend the real criminals. nowadays ,
when police are under various pressures , stresses – they are
frequently using 3rd degree torture methods on innocents. Mainly there
are 3 reasons for this :
1) when the investigating officer (I.O) lacks the brains of Sherlock
holmes , to cover-up his own inefficiency he uses 3rd degree
torture on innocents.
2) When the I.O is biased towards rich , powerful crooks , to frame
innocents & to extract false confessions from them , 3rd degree
torture is used on innocents.
3) When the I.O is properly doing the investigations , but the higher-
ups need very quick results – under work stress I.O uses 3rd degree
torture on innocents.
Nowhere in statuette books , police are legally authorized to punish
let alone torture the detainees / arrested / accussed / suspects. Only
the judiciary has the right to punish the guilty not the police. Even
the judiciary doesn't have the right to punish the accussed /
suspects , then how come police are using 3rd degree torture
unabetted. Even during encounters , police only have the legal right ,
authority to immobilize the opponents so as to arrest them but not to
kill them.
There is a reasoning among some sections of society & police that use
of 3RD DEGREE TORTURE by police is a detterent of crimes. It is false
& biased. Take for instance there are numerous scams involving 100's
of crores of public money – like stock scam , fodder scam , etc
involving rich businessmen , VVIP crooks. Why don't police use 3rd
degree torture against such rich crooks and recover crores of public
money where as the police use 3rd degree torture against a pick-
pocketer to recover hundred rupees stolen ? double standards by
police.
In media we have seen numerous cases of corrupt police officials in
league with criminals. For the sake of bribe , such police officials
bury cases , destroy evidences , go slow , frame innocents , murder
innocents in the name of encounter , etc. why don't police use 3rd
degree torture against their corrupt colleagues who are aiding
criminals , anti nationals ? double standards by police.
All the bravery of police is shown before poor , innocents , tribals ,
dalits , before them police give the pose of heroes. Whereas ,
before rich , VVIP crooks , they are zeroes. They are simply like
scarecrows before rich crooks.
Torture in any form by anybody is inhuman & illegal. For the purpose
of investigations police have scientific investigative tools like
polygraph, brain mapping , lie detector , etc. these scientific tools
must be used against rich crooks & petty criminals without bias.
hereby we urge the GOI & all state governments :
1) to book cases of murder against police personnel who use 3rd degree
torture on detainees and kill detainees in the name of encounter
killings.
2) To dismiss such inhuman , cruel personnel from police service and
to forfeit all monetary benefits due to them like gratuity , pension ,
etc.
3) To pay such forfeited amount together with matching government
contribution as compensation to family of the victim's of 3rd degree
torture & encounter killings.
4) To review , all cases where false confessions were extracted from
innocents by 3rd degree torture.
5) To make liable the executive magistrate of the area , in whose
jurisdiction torture is perpetrated by police on innocents.
6) To make it incumbent on all judicial magistrates ,to provide a
torture free climate to all parties , witnesses in cases before his
court.
7) To make public the amount & source of ransom money paid to forest
brigand veerappan to secure the release of matinee idol mr. raj kumar.
8) To make public justice A.J.Sadashiva's report on "torture of
tribals , human rights violations by Karnataka police in M.M.HILLS ,
KARNATAKA".
9) To make it mandatory for police to use scientific tools of
investigations like brain mapping , polygraph , etc without bias
against suspects rich or poor.
10) To include human rights education in preliminary & refresher
training of police personnel.
11) To recruit persons on merit to police force who have aptitude &
knack for investigations.
12) To insulate police from interference from politicians & superiors.
13) To make police force answerable to a neutral apex body instead of
political bosses. Such body must be empowered to deal with all service
matters of police.
14) The political bosses & the society must treat police in a humane
manner and must know that they too have practical limitations. Then on
a reciprocal basis , police will also treat others humanely.
15) The police must be relieved fully from the sentry duties of
biggies & must be put on detective , investigative works.
Edited, printed , published owned by NAGARAJA.M.R. @ # LIG-2 No 761, HUDCO FIRST STAGE , OPP WATER WORKS , LAXMIKANTANAGAR , HEBBAL ,MYSURU – 570017 KARNATAKA INDIA
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