Information AboutVeerappan |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT VEERAPPAN | |
| 1952 births | |
| 2004 deaths | |
| indian murderers | |
| veerappan | |
| deaths by firearm in india | |
| tamil criminals | |
| robin hood | |
| people shot dead by police | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
|
Koose Muniswamy Veerappan (c. January 18 , 1952 – October 18 , 2004 ) was a legendary Tamil Bandit in India . He resided and carried out his activities in the Biligirirangan and Malai Mahadeswara Hills and Sathyamangalam and Gundiyal forests, covering 6,000 km&2 in the states of Karnataka , Kerala and Tamil Nadu . He was wanted for killing about 124 people, including senior police and forest officials, poaching about 200 Elephant s, and Smuggling Ivory worth US$2,600,000 and Sandalwood of about 10,000 tonnes worth US$22,000,000. He had a price of Rs. 50 million (Rs. 5 Crore or US$1.1 million) on his head, but evaded arrest for 20 years until he was killed by police in 2004. Unofficially, it is estimated that about 2,000,000,000 rupees (200,000,000 per year) was spent over ten years by the government in order to capture him. EARLY YEARS Koose Muniswamy Veerappa alias Veerappan was born at 08:17 hrs (IST) on 18th of January 1952 in Gopinatham village in Karnataka to a family of cattle-grazers. He was commonly known as "Molakai" in his childhood days by the locals. At age eighteen he joined a gang of Poacher s. Over the years he eliminated members of a rival gang and gained control of the entire forest belt. He made money smuggling sandalwood trees and killing Tusker s for ivory. Although he is widely believed to have killed 2,000 elephants, according to Sunaad Raghuram, Veerappan's biographer who spent four years interviewing people, Veerappan could not have killed more than 200. His gang of forty members indulged in killing and Kidnapping . Most of his victims were police and forest officials and informers. He felt the police were responsible for the suicides of his sister Mari and brother Arjunan. He was also known for his kidnapping of prominent people to make demands, starting with a forest official in 1987 . He trapped and brutally killed a senior forest officer Mr. P. Srinivas I. F. S. on 10th of November 1991 in Namadalli forests of Kollegal taluk in Chamarajanagr district. He also killed Mr. Harikrishna I. P. S. and Mr. Shakeel Ahmed, two senior Police officers, along with others on 14th August 1992 near Meenyam of Kollegal taluk by ambushing the police party going for a raid. He married Muthulakshmi, a Shepherd ess, in 1991 . He had three daughters, Yuvarani, Prabha and another, whom he allegedly strangled to death. ROBIN HOOD? Veerappan had a Robin Hood -like image among the villagers adjoining his native village Gopinatham. The villagers acted as cover to his activities and informed him of police activities. They also provided food and clothing to the gang. However it has been suggested that the villagers helped him because of fear, and that Veerappan helped the villagers with money only to protect himself from being captured. He was very ruthless to villagers who provided the police with information. He was arrested in 1986 , but escaped. According to wildlife photographer Krupakar , who was once kidnapped by the bandit, he paid a bribe of Rs. 1 Lakh (Rs. 100,000, about US$2,000) to a policeman to help him escape. Veerappan had impeccable Junglecraft skills. Many have said that his Mimicry of birds and deer helped him evade capture. He is quoted as having watched '' The Godfather '' over 100 times. He was a surprisingly refined man, with a strong penchant for Carnatic Music . He was said to be religious and prayed every day. He was fond of his Handlebar Moustache and tended to it as a daily routine. He regularly made his communications to the government through emissary R.R. Gopal , requesting amnesty. He desired to start an Orphanage and to join Politics , inspired by bandit-turned-Member of Parliament Phoolan Devi . SPECIAL TASK FORCE In 1990 , the Karnataka government formed a Special Task Force to capture him and put an end to the menace. Soon after, the task force captured several of Veerappan's men. In February 1992 , the special task force killed his lieutenant Gurunathan . A few months later, Veerappan attacked the Ramapura police station of Kollegal taluk in the Chamarajanagar district, killing several policemen and capturing arms and ammunition. In 1993 , the task force arrested his wife Muthulakshmi. In July 1993 , he reportedly strangled his infant daughter, fearing that the child's crying could attract police attention. On 12th of July 1997, he kidnapped nine forest officials in a place called Marapala in Burude forests of Kollegal taluk of Chamarajanagar district. He made many demands for releasing them, including amnesty, but none were met. The hostages were released without being harmed in the last week of August the same year. On July 30 , 2000 Veerappan abducted popular Kannada Film actor Dr. Rajkumar from his ancestral home. This event put the Karnataka government in a political dilemma of whether or not to call in the army. The decision was reached that to do so would set a poor precedent. Rajkumar was released without harm on November 15 , 2000 , after 109 days in captivity. There are allegations by several people including Jayalalithaa that about 500,000,000 rupees were paid to Veerappan for releasing Rajkumar. On August 25 , 2002 Veerappan kidnapped H. Nagappa , a former state minister. Nagappa was found dead in the forest three months later. The reward offered by the Karnataka state government was increased to 50,000,000 rupees (US $1.1 million). DEATH On October 18 , 2004 , following a tip-off, Veerappan and two associates were allegedly ambushed and gunned down by Tamil Nadu State Special Task Force headed by the Additional Director-General of Police, K. Vijay Kumar near the village of Paparapatti in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu. His third associate managed to escape. However, the next day his widow claimed that he had been arrested a few days earlier, interrogated and killed by the police (Veerappan had repeatedly threatened, if ever brought to trial, to point a finger at every policemen and politician he had bribed to ensure his three-decade long run from justice). According to media reports, post-mortem photos of Veerappan with a bullet hole above his left eye seemed to contradict with the official story that the STF, lying in ambush, stopped the Ambulance van Veerappan and his gang was travelling in, offered them to surrender and gunned them down when someone from inside the van opened fire. Another possibility, voiced by psychologist, Dr. P. Kodandaram, is that Veerappan and his associates may have committed collective Suicide inside the van when faced with capture. Veerappan was buried at the village of Moolakadu , Tamil Nadu . The police said they did not let the burial take place in his home village in Karnataka , fearing the large crowds that had gathered there. Although the police had planned for a cremation, this was objected to by the relatives of Veerappan suggesting that exhumation would be required if there was investigation into his death. Thousands of people turned out for the funeral while others were kept away from the burial ground by heavy security. CRIMINAL TIMELINE
CONTROVERSIES Death Missionary school dropped Prabha After the death of Veerappan, the Missionary school where his daughter Prabha was studying said that they wouldn't take her back. This statement created an angry stir against the management of the school by human rights activists. Because of this external pressure, the school later agreed to take her back. TRIVIA
REPRESENTATION IN THE ARTS Veerappan was the inspiration behind some films and their characters.
Books on Veerappan:
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
|