05 November, 2017

Veerappan: Chasing the Brigand - The Unauthorized Guide

 Veerappan: Chasing the Brigand

Image Source: Reuters

Many sites give credit to Reuters for the above photo. When I visited the 41st Chennai Book Fair, Nakkheeran Publications had a Stall and found the below photos. So, the actual credits should go to  Nakkheeran Publications. 


The quote in the Introduction was very much inspiring "It's like a football team. All eleven play, but one scores the goal". After finishing the book, I had mixed feelings and made me to do further research. This analysis raised a lot of questions and I doubted whether the goal was scored by fair means or the STF had given Veerappan to taste his own medicine. If you re-read the book, you will feel Veerappan deserved it, but his partners in crime have escaped.

In the Rise of a Brigand, it's mentioned that Veerappan had invited a rival gang for a meal. After the meal, his men opened fire immediately, thus wiping out the competition. But, Nakkheeran gives a different view in his Part 2 Interview.

In A Blow to Veerappan, if you recall the August 1992 incident, Naika pulled Harikrishna and Shakeel and their white Ambassador had multiple holes. It looks very much similar to Veerappan's death, in a white Tempo Traveller filled with bullet holes.

22 - charred bodies in the Good Friday Massacre will assure us that Veerappan got what he deserved.

Gopal Hosur, the STF SP (May 1993), who had 55 sutures in his neck after the ambush in MM Hills, shares his experience in the below TEDx event.

The article Veerappan’s ghost comes back to haunt the police, says the claims by Gopal Hosur for the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry were fake.

In The STF's First Casualty - Senthil, at the end of a day-long futile jungle search, Senthil would charge up a tall rock and scream at the top of his voice, "Veerappan! Where are you? I have come for you". During an operation at Sorgam Valley, a bullet tunnelled through his left eye and penetrated his brain.  Veerappan too faced the same on his fateful day. "No mission haunts you more than the one from which you return carrying the stiffening body of a buddy, even if you are a commando". Veerappan's death will be the only answer for all those missions.

In the Unfriendly Fire, the line Dei suttuteiyada (You've shot me), will send shock waves.

Veerappan's 10 Commandments for releasing Rajkumar.

A few videos have been removed. Nakkheeran has officially released the below video with more details.

Earlier, I heard about Vachathi incident but didn't knew much about it. After reading the சோளகர் தொட்டி Book Review, I felt this was one of the major incidents but was not mentioned much in the book. I searched through the book for the word Vachathi and didn't find it. Then, I searched for STF and found Vaachatti mentioned on Page 130. The Justice for Vachathi article from FrontLine gives a detailed view of the Vachathi incident.

In The Last Victim, we don't have a confirmed answer for the former Karnataka minister H. Nagappa's death. In the below Nakkheeran's Part - 1 Interview (at 17:13), he explains that Nagappa's wife had come to meet Jayalalitha. But, Jayalalitha insisted to discuss anything other than Nagappa's release.

In the Contact, at Last, Red took out a lottery ticket and tore into half. He handed over one piece to Mr. X and had the other half. "This will serve as Anna's travel ticket. When your man meets ours, they should match the edges. Arrange for a vehicle to bring out four people". This reminds me of the movie Ayan where a similar strategy was used for smuggling.

The revealations from Veerappan's Astro chart is very interesting.

The Map in the last cover doesn't make any sense in the beginning. After reading the book fully, it gives a clear picture and the author deserves special appreciation for bringing out this. Adding a Timeline of activities and events, in the future editions will be easy for reference.

Below this grave lies not only Veerappan, but millions of secrets and truth.

Veerappan's Wife's Interview
The Journalists are questioning her so much and she handled it very well. Will they ever raise one question to Vijay Kumar?

Unanswered Questions
1. This book review motivated me to do more research on Veerappan and he too raised a lot of questions.

2. Page 89 - Veerappan's younger brother, Arjunan was arrested by the STF. The Karnataka Police demanded that he be handed over to them for interrogation. Arjunan and Veerappan's 2 aides were formally transferred into the custody of the Karnataka Police and were taken away in a police van. When the van moved about 40 Km, they heard strange sounds from the back. When the back of the van was opened, he found them to have taken Cyanide capsules and died instantaneously. Even a layman knows it's not possible to get Cyanide in Police custody.

3. Veerappan's sister Mariammal had committed suicide. So, he brutally beheaded Srinivas, the Karnataka forest official, blaming him for the suicide of his sister.

4. The death of former Karnataka minister H. Nagappa is not yet known.

5. Page 130 - "In 1992, it was alleged that STF personnel entered these two villages on the pretext of searching for smuggled sandalwood and Veerappan, and assaulted and raped some of the locals. The involvement of the STF in the Chinnampathi case was never proved. Ultimately, not a sinlge STF person was held guilty".

The article from TamilWeek raises a lot of Troubling questions about the killing of Veerappan. It clearly says that The Commission recommended among other things the immediate compensation of Indian Rs. 10,000 each to 19 women raped by STF personnel.

6. Page 223 - In The Longest Day, it's mentioned that "A stretcher was added and there were 3 portraits of deities. Lord Venkateswara in the middle had a camera fixed on his forehead, to pass on real-time information".

Page 232 - In The Shootout at Padi, "The Sweet Box was meant to block the path of the oncoming Cocoon. It also housed three tech experts, who would recieve signals from the surveillance camera concealed inside the ambulance. It was their job to confirm that the target was inside the vehicle before we intercepted it".

Page 235 - In the T minus 120 seconds, "The tech team has confirmed four people in the back of Cocoon. But the picture from the camera is blurred, can't make out their faces". If the footage from the Camera was released, then it would put an end to all the doubts and controversies.

7. Page 209 - In Planting a Mole, a new character Mr. X gets introduced. "According to Veerappan, Mr. X had links with certain Sri Lanka based Tamil radicals, and could use them to procure guns".

During the book launch (at 21:27), when the author was questioned about Mr. X, he gave a reply which can't be taken lightly.

8. In this very old interview, Walter Devaram has mentioned that it's impossible for Veerappan to have AK-47.

Devarams' Interview


Book Launch by Akshay Kumar

Interview in Behindwoods

Vellaithurai's Interview
When questioned about Veerappan's encounter, Vellaithurai says that everything is told in Vijay Kumar's book and that is the truth (15:02).

Interview in Thanthi TV

Interview in BBC Tamil

Movies & Serial on Veerappan
Wanted வீரப்பன்

இலக்கு

வச்சாத்தி 

வன யுத்தம்
 Vana Yuddham

வன யுத்தம் Press Meet
Vijay Kumar had said in an interview that this movie covers 50% of Veerappan's life.

வில்லாதி வில்லன் வீரப்பன்
வில்லாதி வில்லன் வீரப்பன்

Makkal TV - சந்தன காடு Serial (125 Episodes)
Muthulakshmi, the wife of Veerappan had filed a suit against Makkal TV from publishing, broadcasting, telecasting the serial either in the name of Maveeran Veerappan or Sandhana Kadu.

The suit had been laid on the basis that such telecast about her husband will spoil the identity of her husband and also will damage the present life and her children's studies in future.

Later, Makkal TV assured that they will not telecast about the personal life of her and her daughters while telecasting the serial. The serial will depict about Veerappan based on public records and field information.

Makkal TV had aired 125 episodes of the serial. Many Youtubers have uploaded it. Some videos have been removed stating Copyright violation.

There are lots of books on Veerappan. I wish to read them soon.
 நானும் வீரப்பனும்     வீரப்பன் சொன்ன மம்பட்டியான் கதை

 முதல் வேட்டையும் முதல் கொலையும்    சோளகர் தொட்டி

 Veerappan: India's Most Wanted Man   Veerappan'S Prize Catch: Rajkumar

 Memories of Tiger (Hunting Veerappan)   Birds, Beasts and Bandits

Note: The below section was added on 15-Mar-18.

In the Book Fair, I bought another book, பொய் வழக்கும் போராட்டமும் published by நக்கீரன். 


 I have added the pictures of the last pages below (Save the image and zoom for clarity):

 

 

It's mentioned that நக்கீரன் is planning to release வீரப்பனின் வாழ்வும் - மரணமும்  giving full details about the life and death of Veerappan.

The stall had displayed the Cover pictures related to Veerappan.

 


Note: The below section was added on 15-Feb-19.

Recently, Nakkheeran Publications had released this book.
 வீரப்பன்


Note: The below section was added on 14-Jan-20.

I bought the below book in the 43rd Chennai Book Fair.

2 comments:

  1. Great effort. But I'm not commenting on the correctness or otherwise of things stated. There certainly is a lot of truth that has not been told, even about how he died. What was the need of the great secrecy after his death if there was nothing to hide. Was the author not somewhere away when Veerappan was killed, and he took a while to reach the place. This is what I think I read at that time.

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