Veerappan Associates Death Sentence Case

The Case
Simon, Gnanaprakash, Madaiah and Bilavendra, who were convicted of killing 22 police personnel in landmine blasts in Palar,Karnataka in 1993, have been lodged in the Hindalga Central Jail in Belgaum,Karnataka since 2004.

Gopalakrishnan was STF SP in 1993 when the incident took place.Apart from the loss of 22 lives, many other injured persons lost their health and went through serious illness and death came early for them because of the gravity of the injuries suffered in the landmine blast.

Narrating the incident, Gopalakrishnan was STF SP said that during a combing operation in Andhiyur forests on the night of April 7, 1993, STF got information that an informant Sadayan was killed in Gopinatham, the native village of Veerappan.

A banner reportedly kept by Veerappan in the shandy in the nearby village on April 8, 1993, challenged STF to take him head on. “Considering the distance that the accused could have travelled, we took the challenge and ventured into the terrain known as Sorakkamadu across the river Palar in Karnataka limits,” Mr. Gopalakrishnan recalled.

The team comprised 15 informers, two watchers from the Forest Department and 14 policemen. “I was on the footboard of the first jeep known as assault vehicle equipped with an AK 47 assault rifle and reinforcements came in as support in the vehicles that followed at a distance. Hardly minutes before reaching the spot, I noticed unnatural undulations on the road surface on hostile terrain and urged the driver to stop the vehicle. But, the Karnataka police jeep driver who was not able to understand the instruction given in Tamil chose to accelerate and the jeep ran over the landmine”.

Of the 124 arrested under charges of TADA, 117 were acquitted and released and seven were given life terms. Of three cases that were taken on appeal by the Supreme Court, all the seven were acquitted and released in two cases.

Even these 4 death row convicts were acquitted in the remaining two cases, but given the death sentence only in this case by the Supreme Court in 2004.

Writ Petition Filed in SC to Stay Execution of the 4 Veerappan Associates -Saturday Feb 16,2013

A writ petition was moved in the Supreme Court on Saturday on behalf of the four associates of the slain forest brigand Veerappan — whose Mercy Petitions were rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee — to stay their execution.

Senior counsel Conin Gonzalves, appearing for advocate Shamik Narain, moved the urgent petition at the residence of Chief Justice of India Altams Kabir who, however, after ascertaining that there was no proof that the execution was scheduled for Sunday as was feared, directed that it be listed for hearing in due course.

CPI's D Raja Met Family Members of the 4 Veerappan Associates

CPI national secretary D. Raja on Sunday Feb 17,2013 met the family members of the four associates of Veerappan, who were sentenced to death in the 1993 Palar landmine blast case, and assured them that his party would fight along with them to secure commutation of their sentence. 

Stating that capital punishment was not an effective solution to reduce crime, the CPI leader urged the Union government to abolish it. “We should initiate positive efforts and bring in police, prison and judicial reforms to fight crimes. Death penalty is certainly not a solution,” he said

Gnanaprakash’s wife Selvamary, daughter Benita Mary and his brother Anthonysamy, Bilavendra’s son Selva Joseph Victor, Simon’s brother Jayaraj, Madaiah's wife Thangamma and his close relative S. Deepa met the CPI leader D Raja.



SC stays execution of Veerappan aides - Monday Feb 18,2013

The Supreme Court on Monday Feb 18,2013stayed till further orders the execution of death sentence of four aides of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, who were awarded capital punishment in 2004 for a landmine blast in Karnataka that left 22 police personnel dead. 

 

“In the meantime, the execution of death sentence of four convicts shall remain stayed,” a bench comprising Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and justices A.R. Dave and Vikramajit Sen said.

“Let the writ petition be heard day after tomorrow,” it said. 

The petition on behalf of the four convicts was filed by advocate Shamik Narain, who was given the liberty to amend and rectify it after objections were raised on its maintainability by Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati who was asked to assist the court.

The bench posted the matter for Wednesday Feb 20,2013.

SC extends stay on execution -Feb 20,2013

Hanging of 4 aides of  Veerappan has been further delayed with the Supreme Court on Wednesday extending its interim order staying the execution of death sentence imposed on them for killing 22 police personnel in a landmine blast in Karnataka in 1993.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir said it was keeping the matter pending since another bench, which has heard an identical plea, has reserved its judgement. 

“In our view, the proper course of action is to adjourn the matter until another bench renders its judgement on similar matters. Therefore, accordingly we adjourn the hearing of this matter for six weeks to enable another bench to deliver the judgement in another pending matter.

“As a consequence, the interim order staying the execution of petitioners (Veerappan aides) passed on February 18 shall continue” until further orders, the bench also comprising justices A R Dave and Vikramajit Sen said. 

The bench noted that the subject matter of the petition was relating to the right of the death row convicts to get their sentence commuted to life imprisonment on account of delay of execution of their death sentence.

“This is the main question involved when this matter was taken by us. It was brought to our notice that other writ petitions involving the same issue were heard by a bench of two judges in which senior advocates Ram Jethmalani and T.R. Andhyarujina were requested as amicus curiae,” the bench said