Combo image of senior security adviser in the union home ministry K. Vijay Kumar (L) and forest brigand Veerappan.New Delhi: The man who spearheaded the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force (STF) that planned and executed bandit Veerappan's killing during Operation Cocoon has come out with an account of the life and times of the dreaded outlaw.
"Veerappan: Chasing the Brigand" by K. Vijay Kumar describes in detail the ruthless killings and high-profile kidnappings masterminded by Veerappan, including the 108-day ordeal involving Kannada superstar Rajkumar.
No other bandit in recent times has captured the public's imagination as much as Koose Munnasamy Veerappan. Be it his trademark mustache, stories of his daring escapades or his ruthless massacre of officers, Veerappan continues to fascinate, even 13 years after his death.
"Veerappan: Chasing the Brigand", published by Rupa, relives the various incidents that shaped Veerappan's life - from his birth in Gopinatham in 1952 to his death in 2004 in the shootout in Padi.
It traces his dramatic rise from a small-time poacher and sandalwood smuggler to a brutal fugitive who held three states to ransom for two decades.
Kumar, who headed CRPF from 2010-2012, is currently serving as senior security adviser in the home ministry.
Veerappan, who ruled over forest areas in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala for more than two decades, poached over 200 elephants, smuggled ivory worth crores of rupees and killed more than 180 people, mostly police and forest officials.
