Officer who took on brigand gets a ‘jeep memorial’

By Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Mysuru: In 1990-91, a brave forest service officer fell to the designs of notorious poacher Veerappan. His fault: P Srinivas carried out several welfare schemes in Gopinatham, the native village of the brigand in an attempt to convince the residents not to help him.

On coming to know about it, Veerappan enacted a drama saying he would surrender to Srinivas and asked him to reach a particular location where he and his associates deceived and beheaded him.

Now, after 30 years, the forest department has decided to pay a befitting tribute to one of its finest officers by restoring a jeep used by Srinivas while working as DCF at Male Mahadeshwara Hills. The vehicle will be kept as a memorial in front of the forest office in Kollegal town. The current DCF of MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Edukondalu and Wildlife guide G.S. Somashekar took the initiative for this.

The temple constructed by the slain officer, , has been renovated. Villagers have placed a picture of Srinivas along with the goddess.The forest department has given a befitting tribute to one of its finest officers who sacrificed his life while trying in vain to reform sandalwood smuggler and poacher Veerappan who posed a big threat to the police and forest departments of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for several years.

P.Srinivas, An Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer hailing from the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, was part of the Karnataka cadre and was brutally killed by the brigand in 1990-91 who took away his head. Srinivas had convinced Arjuna, Veerappan’s brother to surrender. The slain officer had built a temple and carried out several welfare schemes to make people of Gopinatham, the native place of Veerappan to stop helping the brigand. On coming to know about it, Veerappan enacted a drama of surrendering to him and asked Srinivas to reach a particular location where he and his associates deceived and killed him. In recognition of his selfless service the Government of India posthumously honoured him with ‘Keerthi Chakra’.

Now, the forest department has honoured him by restoring a jeep used by Srinivas while working as DCF at Male Mahadeshwara Hills, which has been kept as a memorial in front of the forest office in Kollegal town. This jeep was used by the slain officer for a long time. The current DCF of MM Hills Wildlife sanctuary, Edukondalu and Wildlife guide G.S.Somashekar took the initiative for this. The then government had given three new jeeps to the department and Srinivas was using these jeeps to hold health camps at Gopinatham.

After he was killed, one was kept in a shed in Palar Forest zone, another was ‘condemned’ and the third was damaged by a mob after the killing of former minister H.Nagappa by Veerappan. Edukondalu and Somashekar brought the one remaining jeep to Mysuru from Palar, gave it an entire new look by removing the rusted parts, tyre and repainted it. It was then taken back to Kollegal to serve as a memorial to DCF Srinivas. The Sri Shakthi Matiyamma temple constructed by the slain officer, which was in shambles, has been renovated. Villagers have placed a picture of Srinivas along with the goddess and perform pooja daily.