TNI Bureau: President of India Pranab Mukherjee has rejected the mercy petitions of four associates of Veerappan, the dreaded sandalwood bandit. They were sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in a landmine blast case in January 2004.

The four accused are Gnanprakasham, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah and Bilavendran. The authorities of the Belgaum jail where the prisoners are lodged have been informed about the recent development. Their mercy pleas were pending since 2004.

The accused were convicted in connection with the killing of 21 policemen in a landmine blast at Palar in Karnataka near the inter-state border in 1993.

Earlier, A Mysore court had awarded life term to the four associates of Veerappan for their involvement in a landmine blast. But the Karnataka government had moved the apex court challenging the Mysore court order.

The Supreme Court awarded them the death sentence in January 2004.