Veerappan's aide, two others held for 29-year-old's murder

The police have arrested three men, including an accomplice of forest brigand Veerappan, in a murder case. The arrested are Basavanmani, 59, his son Pandiraja, 27, both natives of Pennagaram village in Tamil Nadu, and Ramachandra, 29, from Hosur in Tamil Nadu. Raman, 29, a resident of Hosur at Ballur village in Attibele taluk in Bengaluru Urban district, was murdered on October 1 and the killers were absconding since then.

Basavanmani was involved in the murder of three forest officials in Tamil Nadu in 1999, besides other cases. He was sent to prison, but had come out on bail. Raman, a friend of Pandiraja, was involved in two murders.

Raman and Pandiraja had fought over a petty issue about a month ago. Basavanmani thought that Raman might murder his son and hence plotted Raman’s murder, said the police.

As per the plan, Basavanmani invited Raman to a bar. After the two consumed liquor, Basavanmani took Raman to a desolate area and picked an argument with him. Basavanmani claimed that he was Veerappan’s close associate and did not hesitate to murder anyone. He called up Pandiraja and Ramachandra and asked them to come to the spot. They arrived there and hacked Raman to death.

Two men had overheard the argument between Basavanmani and Raman and they provided the clues to the police. A special police team was sent to Tamil Nadu to collect details about Veerappan’s associates. The police received a tip-off that the trio were hiding in a house between Anekal and Attibele. They raided the house and arrested the suspects.