Pramila Nagappa is happy that the man who took her husband and former minister H Nagappa's life is dead.

"A cruel man is no more," she said when reached for her reaction on the killing of dreaded forest brigand Veerappan in an encounter near Dharmapuri on Monday night.

Also read: Sandalwood smuggler Veerappan shot dead | The Veerappan Saga

Veerappan abducted Nagappa in August 2002 from his native Kamagere village in Kollegal block of Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka. Over three-and-a-half months later his body was recovered from the jungles.

Today, the family believes God has finally delivered "justice."

Also Read Images: End of the Road for Veerappan 'Wish we could catch him alive'

"If they [the Special Task Force] had done it before, many lives would have been saved. It would have been good for us also. Anyway, it's good that they have done it now," Parimala Nagappa said.

"A cruel animal has gone. Had he been captured alive, many truths would have come out. But then, they (the STF) say it would not have been possible," she added.

Nagappa's daughter Priyanka, who saw her father being taken away by Veerappan, said: "We feel the God has given us justice finally. God is with us now. He was not with us when my father was kidnapped."