STF Brutalities in post-Veerappan era

The Week has a feature on the atrocities committed by the Special Task Force (STF) in TN. People have already forgotten Veerappan and the STF. Wonder whether issues like this one will get the kind of attention they deserve :-

The STF, it is believed, tortured a number of Tamils like Ellamma and Mathaiyan. The Tamil Nadu government rewarded it for shooting the bandit on October 18 last year, but the victims of its atrocities are yet to be compensated. "The government is silent about their plight. The villagers still live in fear since the STF is yet to leave the area," said Murugesh, a volunteer of the NGO People's Watch, which works with the victims.

Murugesh, who is from Gopina-tham, Veerappan's birthplace, has seen it all. "My entire family was taken to what was called torture cells. Current was passed through our bodies till we agreed to accept crimes we never committed," he said. "My grandfather and father were beaten up with lathis. Current was passed through my sister's ears and the police kept asking her what should be done with my dad. When she finally screamed that he be shot dead, the police stopped torturing her. They said they would not kill my dad but that was the last I saw him."