Bengaluru, May 12 -- The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government and forest department to disburse the promised reward amount to 72 personnel who were part of the Special Task Force (STF) involved in the operation against forest brigand Koose Munisamy Veerappan.

The order was passed by a single-judge bench headed by Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum while hearing petitions filed by A. Srinivasa of Hanur taluk in Chamarajanagar district and others. The court instructed the authorities to release the reward amount within three months in accordance with the government order issued on July 8, 2005.

The High Court observed that there cannot be discrimination between personnel who had already received compensation and the present ...