COIMBATORE: Veerappan is long dead, but sandalwood trees in western Tamil Nadu continue to be under threat from smugglers. One such smuggler, A Selvam, who earned the dubious epithet of 'Junior Veerappan', was arrested on Friday for wantonly felling trees. Selvam (34) has been active since September 2004, when he first cut down sandalwood trees on the Forest College campus.
The city police on patrol duty spotted Selvan on Bharathi Park fourth cross street near the Forest College campus. During questioning, Selvan revealed that he had cut down trees on the Forest college campus and was trying to smuggle them out.
A native of Solaiyur in Palakkad district, Selvam had cut down three well-grown sandalwood trees, weighing about 20kg. The sprawling 164-acre campus is dotted with at least 100 sandalwood trees and saplings.
''We have arrested Selvam and are on the look-out for his associates,'' city police commissioner C Sylendra Babu told reporters.
In February 2008, Selvan and his three associates had grabbed a 9mm pistol and a mobile phone of a cop and escaped with sandalwood logs from a park. Two days later, the police found Selvan, but he managed to escape during interrogation. Four special teams were sent after him and he was nabbed on March 6, 2008. He was detained under the NSA and lodged in Coimbatore central prison.
The city police on patrol duty spotted Selvan on Bharathi Park fourth cross street near the Forest College campus. During questioning, Selvan revealed that he had cut down trees on the Forest college campus and was trying to smuggle them out.
A native of Solaiyur in Palakkad district, Selvam had cut down three well-grown sandalwood trees, weighing about 20kg. The sprawling 164-acre campus is dotted with at least 100 sandalwood trees and saplings.
''We have arrested Selvam and are on the look-out for his associates,'' city police commissioner C Sylendra Babu told reporters.
In February 2008, Selvan and his three associates had grabbed a 9mm pistol and a mobile phone of a cop and escaped with sandalwood logs from a park. Two days later, the police found Selvan, but he managed to escape during interrogation. Four special teams were sent after him and he was nabbed on March 6, 2008. He was detained under the NSA and lodged in Coimbatore central prison.
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