Forest officer slain by Veerappan revered by Gopinatham villagers

Chamarajanagar: The Mariyamma temple built by martyr DCF Srinivasan has a good number of visitors daily. Srinivasan, the Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer hailing from undivided Andhra Pradesh, was slain by dreaded forest brigand Veerappan enraged by the officer's efforts to reform him and persuade him to surrender.

Veerappan killed the officer by inviting him to his hideout on the pretext of surrendering.

The forest officer had built the temple with the support of villagers in 1990 in Gopinatham in Hanur taluk of the district. In a sharp contrast, Perumal temple renovated by the forest brigand at Pudur village has hardly any visitors. During 1980s Veerappan had the temple renovated with one share of his loot. Veerappan would even organise an annual festival of the temple in a grand manner by inviting stage artistes. Veerappan had stopped visiting this temple after police stepped up surveillance on his movements. After the death of Veerappan in a police operation, people stopped visiting Perumal temple. Now, only his relatives pay visit to the temple once a year. Vadivel, a native of Gopinatham, told The Hans India that good work always has value. Hence the villagers are visiting the temple built by DCF Srinivasan.

He said in the Mariyamma temple the priest first offers puja to the photo of the DCF daily. According to Vadivel, the people in the locality have a high respect for the slain officer even now.