DGP denies reports on firing between STF

Chennai, Apr 21 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) D Mukherjee today denied reports that Special Task Force (STF) personnel and naxalites exchanged fire in the Palar forest area.

Denying any claims of naxal intrusion in the state, he said those who had fired at the STF were poachers and not naxalites.

''They were poachers and not naxals as reported in a section of the Press'', he said in a statement.

The STF personnel, on a routine combing operation, had opened four rounds of fire on an eight member gang, who were found loitering around in the forest areas, east of Palar on the night of April 19.

''The STF team, deployed to check illegal poaching of animals, spotted a few armed men at Surakkaimaduvu near Mettur. The poachers opened fire from their country-made guns on seeing the STF personnel'', he added.

When the STF retaliated, the group fled the scene and escaped under the cover of darkness.

A case had been filed in the Kolathur police station in this regard.

UNI