These photos throw light on the kind of life Veerapan leads in his forest hideout...»
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Security forces in India have led many operations against dreaded dacoits in the treacherous Chambal ravines. What is it then, that puts Veerappan out of their reach?

Perhaps the answer lies in the dark and dense Kollegal forest. Veerappan's strength rests not in the manpower he commands or the weapons and ammunition he possesses, but the jungle he inhabits. To him the forest is a blessing and his saviour too.

Ajay Raj Sharma who has led many operations against dacoits such as Jagat Singh Khuswaha in the Chambal valley says: "Kollegal is dense, deep and infested with wildlife. Some of its corners are so dense that going farther deep, means putting life to peril", says Ajay Raj Sharma, Director General Border Security Force (BSF). The BSF has participated thrice in combat operations against Veerappan, but returned empty handed each time.

The experience gained by the forces in hunting down the dreaded dacoits in the Chambal valley is of little use in Kollegal.

The difference in topography further compounds the problem of nabbing Veerappan. "Unlike Chambal dacoits, Veerappan has a strong network of informers who tips him off on police movements. To evade being captured he recedes and takes refuge deep inside the impregnable forest", says Sharma.

While the failure of the entire government machinery to nab Veerappan, who has killed 120 and has 5000 poaching cases against him, frustrates and angers people, it is almost impossible for them to visualize the thick forests of Kollegal that provide Veerappan an ideal hiding haven.

"The southern forest is so thick that you can't see beyond five feet deep inside the jungle while the ravines of Chambal have an open skyline and receive enough sunshine to enable clear vision for miles, "points out Sharma.

In Chambal, it is easy to track down human movement through aerial surveillance and seek aerial help unlike in the Kollegal forest where thick vegetation blocks visibility on the ground.

But grappling with the Chambal ravines has been an uphill task too. Covering over 8,000 sq miles in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, it is a land of crumbling soil mass and eroded rocks. Often called as monumental anthills the peaks soar up to 300 feet.

"The sandy ridges and deep ravines of Chambal pose serious threat in ground combats. Here, you don't know if your enemy is hiding just 10 feet away, leaning against the next sand dune, poised to kill you", says Balbir Singh, retired DSP of the Madhya Pradesh police who participated in a combing operation against Phoolan Devi.

He gives a first hand account of the tough terrain they had to cover in their operation against Phoolan Devi: "We trudged along on foot as there was no motorable road. We reached our destination only to find that Phoolan had fled the scene", recalls Balbir.

"It took us nearly seven hours to cover a distance of 18 km. The terrain was difficult, with narrow ravines, close walls, cliffs and ridges. It had desert vegetation with camel thorn and elephant grass, which made the march torturous."

"In summers, the ravines are nature's scourge, with dry sand and dust, temperature rising to 120 degree F. No vegetation, no water, only parched land and sand", recalls Balbir.

While ravines of Chambal don't provide any shelter to fugitives, the forests of MM Hills do. It is nature's blessing, which Veerappan exploits to the hilt. "There are caves in Kollegal forest where you can lie for months without being noticed", explains Mr. Sharma.

TR Kakkar, former Director General, NSG however has a different line of thought. He thinks however formidable and inaccessible an area is, it is the men who man the post that matters.

The security agencies, he feels, have failed largely because no sustained effort has been carried out to capture the bandit. "We gear up only when Veerappan abducts, otherwise, like Veerappan we lie low", says a perturbed Kakkar.