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New Delhi, Monday (AFP) Indian police were left empty handed after the country's most wanted bandit holding a former state minister hostage escaped a massive security cordon, official sources here said.

A special task force, constituted 12 years ago to catch Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, had been closing in on the 51-year-old brigand who abducted former state government minister Hannur Nagappa on August 25 from the southern Indian state of Karnataka, police said.

"During the course of last week police had definite information about Veerappan's movements and we were in hot pursuit," a senior police official told AFP here, Nagappa's hometown 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Karnataka's capital Bangalore.

He said the 1,000-member task force had ringed Kalmathur Doddi village in Dinnahalli forest bordering Tamil Nadu state following intelligence reports Veerappan was hiding there.

"We were very near to success on Friday but as we moved in we found he had left the place 24 hours before," the official who has been working with the taskforce for the past 10 years said.

"The main problem we are facing is the mountainous terrian. Veerappan is very well-versed with the jungles where he is operating and he has the support of local villagers," the official said.

Karnataka's Director General of Police V.V. Bhasker said the police aimed to secure the safe release of Nagappa, a 66-year-old diabetic, and nab Veerappan.

He said federal "Black Cat" commandos, paramilitaries and the police were hunting Veerappan and warned villagers helping the bandit.

"We have information that some people are supporting Veerappan's gang... If any overt or covert help is given then government has enough laws to deal with them," he said.

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