The Hunt for Veerappan (2023) s01e04 Episode Script
The Way Out
1
-[pensive music playing]
-[birds chirping]
[Anburaj in Tamil]
Veerappan would often say,
"I've been here since my childhood."
"These forests will never betray me."
"I can live here till my last breath."
"I know every single tree, each stone,
every bird and all their ancestors!"
He felt spiritually connected
to the forest.
For solid 30 years,
the forest was his home.
With all sorts of comfort.
But it wasn't out of choice.
It were the situations that forced him to.
"I will return to my village,
be with my people
and live in my land till the day I die."
During my time with him,
he always spoke of this deep desire.
He even pleaded to the government,
"Let me stay in my village
after serving time,
for at least
the last five years of my life."
[Veerappan] Will the government
accept our surrender terms?
I will be watching from here.
[Anburaj] He tried his best to return
to his land, in every way he could.
He would've 100% surrendered
and Rajkumar wouldn't have been abducted.
His story would have ended
differently had that happened.
Instead it is filled with mystery
and betrayal, is how I see it.
[thunder rumbling]
[bells jingling]
[Muthulakshmi] After Rajkumar's release,
an inspector from
the Tamil Nadu STF came to my home.
He said, "You hid everything from me."
I asked, "What did I hide from you, sir?"
He immediately said, "You have visited
your husband and didn't tell us."
What could I have possibly told them then?
"If I had told you, you wouldn't let me
see him. So, I didn't tell you."
I couldn't go anywhere
without the knowledge of the police.
I did not know anyone.
I couldn't go talk to anyone.
I was in a situation where I couldn't
even talk to my own family.
My husband was in the forest
and I was all alone.
That is when he sent out a cassette,
deciding to meet me and the daughters.
[tape recorder clicks]
[Veerappan over tape recorder]
This is your dear husband speaking.
I am so eager to see my daughter.
I so badly want to see you.
Anyway, I just feel like talking
more and more as I record it.
Because I miss you so much.
Uh
It's so hard.
What can I do?
[Muthulakshmi] "If I am able to come out
without the police's knowledge,
I will let you know."
That's what I told him.
[Interviewer] Okay, what happened next?
After this, they shifted me to Coimbatore.
[suspenseful music playing]
At 11:00 p.m. in the night,
they took me to a two-storied building.
"A mother and her daughter
are staying here."
"They must never know who you are."
"Tell them that your husband is in Dubai."
"Introduce yourself with another name.
Don't tell them that you're Muthulakshmi."
The daughter, Priya,
slowly started befriending me.
[chuckling] They'd never
let me stay upstairs alone.
They'd keep asking me
to come down and be with them.
And she became close with my daughters.
She kept on asking me about my husband.
After one point,
I was unable to hide any further.
I asked her, "If I tell you,
will you promise to not tell anyone?"
She said, "I won't tell anyone,
tell me the truth."
"I am Veerappan's wife," I told her.
She started talking about
how much she liked him.
And then she said,
"Please let me meet
your husband at least once."
[police officer in English]
This girl in Coimbatore, very outspoken
and very talented in a sense.
She's a bold girl
who can handle situations.
So this girl was an informant for me.
I was there for five years.
He used to say in Tamil,
[in Tamil] "Even if I die, these mongrels
shouldn't find my corpse."
"Their knees
should wear out searching for me."
[in English] It's so, so difficult
to catch him inside the forest.
We used choppers, we used thermal images.
Technology available was used.
There was no result.
We did not know where he is,
we did not know what we are doing.
[chuckling] Most of the time, you search
in a place where there is no Veerappan.
But we search, thinking that he's there.
I found this a futile task.
I said, "Something we are missing."
"Something we are missing.
This is not the way to search."
"To catch him inside the forest,
it's impossible."
"So we should lure him out of the forest."
We had the information
that Veerappan is desperately
searching for his wife
to meet the daughters.
[in Tamil] He had never seen
his second daughter.
[in English] This girl was given
the code name "The Coimbatore Girl."
We had already fed this girl
about what to tell Muthulakshmi.
"We can meet him in our estate,
which we have in Kothagiri."
"It's an ideal place for meeting."
[Muthulakshmi in Tamil] So me,
my daughters along with Priya went there.
They made rotis and chicken gravy.
She said, "No one will know
if your husband comes here."
"I'll make some arrangements," I said.
[Kannan in English] As planned, Veerappan
was on his way to Kothagiri.
There were snipers inside the forest.
We've, in fact,
put explosives all along the huts.
And everything was set.
[animal calling]
[suspenseful music playing]
[Muthulakshmi in Tamil] Priya was
very curious to know about certain things
and questioned me again and again.
The fact that she took me
to the forest again and again.
When I thought about everything she did,
that was when it clicked.
"Something is wrong."
"I shouldn't be here anymore."
"I should leave this place," I decided.
[Kannan in English] Muthulakshmi
smelled out that something is happening.
Veerappan came 20 kilometers
from the point of meeting,
then he returned back.
Had he come inside the tea estate,
Veerappan would have been shot.
[Interviewer] Do you think it was right
to involve the family?
[Kannan] Safety of the family was ensured.
Moreover, the family
was not exploited to get Veerappan.
They wanted to meet.
We facilitated the meeting
with our own agenda. That's all.
But catching him
as an outlaw is my problem.
Learning was that Veerappan
can be lured out of the forest.
[Sunaad] This was a brand-new STF
that I had not seen before.
Very ferocious.
Absolutely tactical.
Crores of rupees of public money
had already been spent.
Far too many officers
had laid down their lives.
A lot many officers
were still on the pursuit of this one man.
[reporter in Tamil] Bring it
[in English] No mic, thank you
[reporter] Sir, anything special?
-Nothing to
-[reporter] Sir?
-Sir, how many Sir?
-No, we can't
[reporter] Sir, how many days are you
-No, we have no details
-[reporter] Veerappan.
How many days, sir?
We can't divulge these details.
These are matters
of tactical, uh, interest.
So we'll not be sharing
[indistinct chatter]
[K Arkesh] When Mr. Vijay Kumar
came as the task force commander to STF,
he was a superior soldier
among other soldiers.
He was in the Special Protection Group
which provided security
to the Prime Minister.
So humble and had no ego.
And he was a thorough professional.
[Kannan] When Mr. Vijay Kumar took charge,
lot of welfare activities were pumped in
with the help of the government.
Conducted medical camps.
The damage done by the STF in the past
by doing atrocities in the villages,
that was drastically reduced.
No villagers were taken into custody.
We planted
a lot of sources in the villages
and protected their identity.
Mr. Vijay Kumar used his operation
based on my intelligence.
Strategy was to penetrate
the gang in such a way
that I'm able
to take him out of the forest.
So, we came to know three or four people
from different villages
who were in touch with Veerappan.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Trader in Tamil] The only reason
I ask you not to reveal my identity
or show my face
is because this is information
that two states
have held as a secret for so long.
How will I be able
to disclose all this openly in public?
I used to be a trader
near the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border.
None of my family or friends knew
I had met the Jungle King Veerappan.
I had operated carefully
for three months now.
I got them milk powder, apples, grapes,
dates, sweets, whatever they wanted
some four, five times.
And they gave me the money for it.
That was all.
We shared no other relationship.
But I knew something was wrong.
The gang was using few village men
to supply them food and other stuff.
Later I came to know that
the Tamil Nadu police
had caught all of them.
I felt the police were closing in.
I had a one-year-old daughter.
And every time I looked at her,
I would shiver in panic.
If the Karnataka police nabbed me,
they'd kill me.
But I'd survive
if the Tamil Nadu police caught me.
They might put me in jail
for five to ten years.
Those were terrible times.
So I decided to tell the truth
to save myself from further trouble.
That was the first time
I saw ADGP Vijay Kumar sir in person.
"I made a big mistake."
"I met Veerappan, sir."
Vijay Kumar sir asked me to remain calm
and go about my business as per usual.
"No one will harm you."
"No one can overrule me here."
"I'm the leader of both
the states' STF force, right?"
"Do exactly as he says."
"You won't face any obstacles
from us anymore."
"We just want to know his needs
and what we can do
to fulfill those needs."
He asked me to be courageous
and head into the forest.
-[suspenseful music playing]
-[distant birds chittering]
Forest King Veerappan
was seated across from me.
He was combing his mustache.
An old ferocious lion-like face
with folded hands.
"We need an important person."
"Kolathur Mani."
"You need to meet him and bring him here.
That's critical for me to reach my goals."
[tape recorder clicking]
[Veerappan over tape recorder]
Brother, this is Veerappan speaking.
I need to meet you at the earliest.
I have a lot to discuss with you.
There are only three of us.
We don't have any manpower.
The demons
are closely watching this place.
I am eagerly waiting to meet you
and discuss several things with you.
Thanks a lot, brother. See you.
[tape recorder turns off]
I just went to find out what it was.
I went because I had to.
I had a soft corner for him.
[pensive music playing]
[Trader] When Mani and I went,
Veerappan gave him a tight hug.
[Kolathur Mani] They didn't say it openly,
but they couldn't hold out any longer.
They said,
"We are being constantly hunted,
and we are constantly fleeing,
there is police everywhere we go."
His eyesight deteriorated.
He felt it was due to
the hair dye that he was using.
He wanted to get an eye surgery.
I told him it was impossible
to bring doctors here
and that he had to come out.
He didn't have enough understanding
about the medical procedures.
He said, "Some particles have to be
simply removed from my eyes, why not?"
That is when he tells me that
he wants to go to Eelam, Sri Lanka.
I said, "That is hard."
"You can't get out so easily.
There are police everywhere."
I said that to calm him down.
Then he dropped it.
He called me a couple of days later.
"Brother, please do something."
[Interviewer]
Did others know about this plan?
I don't know,
the news could have gone out.
[Trader] I immediately
passed on this information to the police.
I felt like a chameleon
that is stuck in between these two groups.
I told Vijay Kumar sir,
"Veerappan has a childlike heart."
"Please don't kill him by mistake."
He responded,
"That is the talent he possesses."
"He gets things done only by showing
his childlike heart
to the people he meets."
They asked me not to underestimate him
due to his childlike attitude.
In a shaky voice I said,
"Sir, I am scared."
"Nothing to fear.
Things are falling into place."
"You don't have to be worried.
We are closing in."
[Kannan in English] He has no weaknesses.
He is a person who never used to drink.
Nor was he a womanizer.
God-fearing type.
And believes in astrology.
And goes by his instinct.
He has seen so much of blood in life.
He was not a coward
or he didn't have fear for anything.
Had he remained in the forest,
he was invincible.
Strategy is to understand
the person's weakness.
He had 70% cataract,
he couldn't walk in the night.
That was his major concern.
Secondly, getting more weapons
was his interest.
For that, he was looking for a contact.
This is the beginning of the end.
[suspenseful music playing]
Mostly, the conduit would come after two,
three days and meet me in person.
One of the most important
information which he provided
was about a gunrunner
who was supposed to supply
weapons to Veerappan on a specified date.
We intercepted the gunrunner.
Converted this person to our advantage.
We told him,
"You give the weapons to Veerappan
through the conduit,
as you had already planned."
"But say that these weapons are procured
from the LTTE cadres of Sri Lanka."
And a person named Mugilan
had supplied him.
[Interviewer] Who is Mugilan?
[suspenseful music playing]
[Sunaad] The STF was undertaking
its most radical gambit yet
to create out of whole cloth
a character to interact with Veerappan.
This Mugilan would be a perfect foil
for all of Veerappan's wants and desires.
And Veerappan's only shot
at saving his own skin.
[Kannan] I acted as Mugilan.
[Interviewer] Why would he trust
a faceless guy?
He's not met this person.
That is what is my bloody job. [chuckles]
Mugilan has contact
with the Sri Lankan Tamils.
Particularly, the Tamil Eelams.
[in Tamil] Gunrunner informs Veerappan
that I am a powerful guy.
And the one who facilitates
meetings with Prabhakaran.
"Also will take care of your eye problem."
And asks Veerappan
to contact Mugilan directly.
[in English] Then the gunrunner
was arrested
for violations and booked accordingly.
For three, four months
I was in contact with him.
I used to supply logistics
including weapons and all.
All the weapons had the bearing of LTTE.
And all the bullets
and everything was from LTTE.
So he was honored that
he was receiving weapons from so-and-so.
And we are also repairing his guns.
He got convinced that I was a true
representative of the Tamil Eelam group.
Then he tells about
his plan of visiting Sri Lanka.
Wanted his eye to be operated.
I also offered an opportunity
for him to meet the Tamil Eelam leader
which he was
very much aspiring for a long time.
[tape recorder clicks]
[Veerappan in Tamil over tape recorder]
Prabhakaran too formed an organization
with 12 members.
This organization of 12 people
grew to become LTTE.
And now they rule a part of Sri Lanka.
We need to strive hard for it.
Our efforts will be
proportionately rewarded.
[Interviewer in English]
You fooled Veerappan?
-Hmm?
-You fooled Veerappan?
That's the only way out.
He was fooling us for 20 years.
[Muthulakshmi in Tamil]
We were determined to get out of here.
The situation was aligning towards that.
His idea was that if we go to Sri Lanka,
no one would be able to do anything to us.
And we could live as a family.
Prabhakaran also would take care of us.
[Interviewer] The news reached Prabhakaran
and he responded?
That's the information my husband gave me.
Prabhakaran told my husband that,
"He should be in a safe place.
He's suffered all these years."
"Let's not use him for our battles."
"If he reaches here,
we'll give him some rest."
"Let him stay in a different city
along with his family."
This was the news my husband received.
[pensive music playing]
[Trader] I have never seen him
so happy in the six, seven times
that I have seen him before.
He had that trademark mustache of his.
He was wearing a green shirt and pants.
He hugged me [kisses]
and kissed me on my right cheek.
He sighed in relief, saying,
"You have helped in putting
an end to all our struggles."
"No plan of mine
has failed in all these years."
"But from now on,
you will have to be extremely careful."
"You should always ensure no one
outside knows anything about all this."
"Do you understand?"
I said, "Okay, brother."
My eyes were welling up with tears
without even me realizing it.
I was hoping in my heart
that no harm befalls this man.
He said, "Brother, these past few days,
Goddess Kali has been warning
of a few things in my dreams."
"Sometimes there is fear in my heart."
"I don't understand any of it."
I told him, "Brother, please be careful."
"In case something bad happens, let it.
No one can stop it."
He spoke this way
"I am going to die someday anyway."
"But I just don't want to die
at the hands of the police."
[suspenseful music playing]
This was the last thing that happened
on the night of October 13th.
[Interviewer] Were you ever tempted
in a situation like this
to tell him the truth?
[Trader] Yes.
The thought crossed my mind twice.
[Kannan in English]
The secret is always between two.
If a third person is involved,
it is a news.
Myself and Vijay Kumar
ensured confidentiality.
Ensured the secrecy doesn't leak.
Around one week before,
that it seems that the coast is clear,
it's easy to cross now.
"Can you be available around
next week anytime to be taken?"
So he just worked out and said,
"18th of October is fine."
[Sunaad] Somewhere in the depths
of the jungles
around Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu,
a whole set of events
were about to take place.
A police van which was
made to look like an ambulance,
waited quietly
on a remote stretch of road.
Veerappan and three of his associates
got into that van quite unceremoniously.
[Kannan] In the cabin we had kept
one Goddess photograph.
In the center of the forehead
was a very expensive camera from Taiwan.
[in Tamil] Since it was
a sensitive camera, I was able to watch
the positions of the gang members
inside the cabin.
[in English] He is very confident
and the face does not give any emergency,
[in Tamil] any doubtfulness
or any suspicion.
Vijay Kumar sir and I were 90% sure
that they would take the main route.
[in English] The vehicle
is coming towards our direction.
[suspenseful music continues]
If the light
of the ambulance is revolving,
that means they are armed.
So there was a very tense moment because
[in Tamil] we can't guess what'll happen.
[in English] We had three commando teams.
All snipers.
Ready to open fire.
And we took positions.
I was watching the movement of Veerappan.
And he was totally
in a cool mood to go to Sri Lanka,
to meet the leader, get his eyes operated.
A lorry loaded with sugarcane
was approaching,
immediately our man stopped the vehicle.
Veerappan peeped outside
to see why the vehicle has stopped.
When he saw there was a truck
in the opposite direction,
he was not agitated.
He was not surprised.
"Okay, there is one more truck,
there is a waiting for traffic to clear."
Taking advantage of the one minute,
switching on the light in the rear cabin.
Full light beam was switched on.
There was total brightness
inside the cabin.
The gang realized that they were trapped.
I could see in his face
that "you have betrayed me" look.
But, uh, I was relaxed at that time.
At least the operation is over.
[wind roaring]
[Muthulakshmi in Tamil] I had a dream.
My husband and his men
looked like they were walking out
from Neruppur forest.
There were a lot of police
and they had spotted the gang.
I was thinking, "The police are here
and they haven't realized it yet."
And by then, the police started firing.
I screamed so loudly in my dream.
I started crying for real.
Usually I never get such dreams.
But this time I dreamed
that they were shot.
[Kannan in English] The first shot
went inside Veerappan's head.
And immediately, as soon as it hit
the head, he just collapsed in the front.
Immediately back doors were opened,
and they found that
all four were in a pool of blood.
It was really a very gruesome killing
they had to face.
Perhaps this is one thing Veerappan
would have not expected in his lifetime.
He died without fighting.
[somber music playing]
[camera shutter clicking]
[people clamoring]
[Muthulakshmi in Tamil] On TV,
I saw their four bodies
lined up in the hospital,
covered in black sheets.
MR. VEERAPPAN
I sat there and watched
the news for some time.
When I looked closely,
I recognized my husband's face.
"His mustache is trimmed."
I didn't know what to do,
or how to get there.
I was alone there.
-[people clamoring]
-[vehicle horns honking]
People were pouring in
from everywhere into the hospital.
[woman 1] I'm going to see.
-[man] See what?
-[women] See Veerappan.
-[man] What happened to Veerappan?
-[woman 1] Yes.
-[man] What did they do to him?
-[woman 2] We are going to see Veerappan.
[woman 3] They shot him dead.
[woman 2] We don't know
what happened to him.
We haven't seen him yet.
So we are curious to go and see him.
We came at 11:00 p.m. and we are
still hanging around to see him.
[people clamoring]
[Muthulakshmi] There was
a group of STF police in there.
They were jumping around with guns,
and lifted Vijay Kumar up.
-[all cheering]
-[camera shutters clicking]
When I saw the police
do that, I got furious.
I don't know what I said,
but I said something out of anger.
[Kolathur Mani] Muthulakshmi was sitting
inside the vehicle alone.
She said, "Brother, they're not
letting me take him home."
"They're saying
that they'll burn the body now."
[indistinct chatter]
They were arranging tires
and logs of wood.
[indistinct chatter]
I said, "What's your job here,
it was over as soon as you shot him."
"To bury him or burn him,
today or tomorrow,
the family will decide the rest."
"You do not interfere in this."
We are waiting
for his brother and his daughters.
They will take the call
on his final rites after they come here.
[Interviewer] What were you feeling
while looking at Veerappan's body?
[Kolathur Mani] It didn't do much to me.
I'm not saying this out of anger or hate.
I felt it would be a relief
to people that he died.
The people suffered a lot.
The sorrow that the people near
the forest border felt was immense.
For the people, it's like
a huge battle that came to an end.
[camera shutters clicking]
[in English] This was indeed a difficult
mission because he was a worthy foe.
It was not very easy to get him.
It was coming at the end
of a long wait, a desperate wait.
The boys in the STF are the heroes.
I worship them, I salute them.
[people cheering]
I was happy that the end came
for this cruel animal-like human being
who was a curse on humanity.
But to even a layman,
the manner in which he was killed
raises certain doubts.
[female newsreader] Questions abound
on Operation Cocoon.
Why was the ambulance
sealed off to the media?
Why did the ambulance
have so many bullet marks through it,
and Veerappan,
only very neat bullet wounds
near his head and neck?
As if he was being shot at close range.
Why was Veerappan's body shown
to the cameras only from neck up?
[in Kannada] Everyone is shot right here.
How can all four be shot in the same spot?
[in Tamil] The government
must have planted something
to make it look like they shot him,
and they claimed the credit.
[Muthulakshmi] It is one big lie.
They had trimmed my husband's mustache.
My husband would rather die
than remove his mustache.
He would never accept anything like this.
[crying]
All of this was staged.
[Interviewer] Someone who was at the spot,
and risked his life
for 12 years to catch Veerappan
says he was there and it happened.
-Hmm.
-Would you accept this as the truth?
Not in a million years.
[man announcing indistinctly in Tamil]
[Jayalalitha] Today is a very special day
in the history of Tamil Nadu police.
The struggle that lasted for 20 years
-has ended in 20 minutes.
-[applause]
For protecting us
from the further disasters,
a one-step promotion,
three lakhs prize money,
and a plot of land
I give away with happiness.
[applause]
[Kannan in English] I had my stint
in STF from 1999 to 2004.
Some press people will ask me,
"Sir, it's in the press
that you poisoned Veerappan."
"Then you brought him outside."
Lot of versions came in.
"Just answer me three questions."
"First, whether Veerappan is dead or not?"
All said, "Yes, sir. Veerappan is dead."
"You believe that?" "Yes."
"The cause of Veerappan's death is STF."
"Any dispute in this?"
"Yes, sir. No doubt.
STF is reason for killing of Veerappan."
"In between the gaps,
you write any story. I don't mind."
[chuckles]
"I will neither defend your story
nor try to approve your story."
"You write
whatever your imagination says."
[solemn music playing]
My point was, STF was given
the task to accomplish.
It has been accomplished.
And there ends the matter.
[Ashok Kumar] Seven years of my life
I spent in jungle.
Karuppasamy, Navas,
so many other officers,
they spent at least 15 years inside.
Fire!
Lot of mental suffering was there.
Prolonged Special Task Force
would definitely dent any family.
[in Tamil] My family members
and family life, all of us
[in English] We suffered it.
[solemn music continues]
We have worked to the cost of our life.
And many officers knew
that they are going to die.
Still there was allegation
on the entire force.
Finally, Mr. Shankar Bidari
was questioned.
Shankar Bidari told,
"Sir, what all good things
I've done in the operation,
the credit goes to my team."
"If you find any mistakes,
if you say these are the faults,
I'll take responsibility."
See, that is the word of a leader.
And finally, the commission
could not take any action on anybody.
2004 he was killed.
Till all these years,
no repetition of such crime
in that entire area.
That means, uh,
police have solved the problem.
Yeah.
[gripping music playing]
[Anburaj in Tamil]
Veerappan may have died.
But the reason for a Veerappan
to exist in the first place,
those social issues,
were they ever discussed?
Huge violations done by government forces
were buried deep inside these forests.
Lives ripped apart
in the name of Veerappan.
So many unspoken deaths, molestations,
lives destroyed and buried
like the truth in this case.
Though the forest looks beautiful
in one perspective,
in my mind, sometimes I hear a roar.
Someone's scream
just before they are going to be shot.
I can hear such wailing.
People saw Veerappan
as a hero and a leader.
It is the bitter and sad truth.
If citizens are ready
to accept a criminal,
wanted by the government, as a hero,
it shows that the government dealt with
this situation in a despicable manner.
[Muthulakshmi] I got introduced
to the world
as Muthulakshmi, Veerappan's wife.
[indistinct conversation]
After all the difficulties I faced,
I have finally come back to my home soil,
trusting you people.
Please think of me
as your daughter and be by my side.
What we feel is that, my husband
challenged the police and took them on
and lived a fearless life.
We respect his bravery.
[Interviewer] What is bravery
according to you?
[Muthulakshmi]
Bravery is being absolutely fearless.
No matter how big the problems are,
one should face them
and live on this earth.
One should work hard
and keep moving forward.
Even when an enemy comes,
one should fight and win.
[solemn music playing]
[Interviewer] To me,
the act of killing is not bravery.
All right.
-[wind whistling]
-[birds chirping]
[Veerappan over tape recorder]
"My wife is a warrior."
When you come next time,
I will tell you in person.
What happened was injustice,
no one can do anything about it.
Those in power have their laws.
And so do I.
Only the sky gods and forest deities
know my whole truth.
[theme song playing]
-[pensive music playing]
-[birds chirping]
[Anburaj in Tamil]
Veerappan would often say,
"I've been here since my childhood."
"These forests will never betray me."
"I can live here till my last breath."
"I know every single tree, each stone,
every bird and all their ancestors!"
He felt spiritually connected
to the forest.
For solid 30 years,
the forest was his home.
With all sorts of comfort.
But it wasn't out of choice.
It were the situations that forced him to.
"I will return to my village,
be with my people
and live in my land till the day I die."
During my time with him,
he always spoke of this deep desire.
He even pleaded to the government,
"Let me stay in my village
after serving time,
for at least
the last five years of my life."
[Veerappan] Will the government
accept our surrender terms?
I will be watching from here.
[Anburaj] He tried his best to return
to his land, in every way he could.
He would've 100% surrendered
and Rajkumar wouldn't have been abducted.
His story would have ended
differently had that happened.
Instead it is filled with mystery
and betrayal, is how I see it.
[thunder rumbling]
[bells jingling]
[Muthulakshmi] After Rajkumar's release,
an inspector from
the Tamil Nadu STF came to my home.
He said, "You hid everything from me."
I asked, "What did I hide from you, sir?"
He immediately said, "You have visited
your husband and didn't tell us."
What could I have possibly told them then?
"If I had told you, you wouldn't let me
see him. So, I didn't tell you."
I couldn't go anywhere
without the knowledge of the police.
I did not know anyone.
I couldn't go talk to anyone.
I was in a situation where I couldn't
even talk to my own family.
My husband was in the forest
and I was all alone.
That is when he sent out a cassette,
deciding to meet me and the daughters.
[tape recorder clicks]
[Veerappan over tape recorder]
This is your dear husband speaking.
I am so eager to see my daughter.
I so badly want to see you.
Anyway, I just feel like talking
more and more as I record it.
Because I miss you so much.
Uh
It's so hard.
What can I do?
[Muthulakshmi] "If I am able to come out
without the police's knowledge,
I will let you know."
That's what I told him.
[Interviewer] Okay, what happened next?
After this, they shifted me to Coimbatore.
[suspenseful music playing]
At 11:00 p.m. in the night,
they took me to a two-storied building.
"A mother and her daughter
are staying here."
"They must never know who you are."
"Tell them that your husband is in Dubai."
"Introduce yourself with another name.
Don't tell them that you're Muthulakshmi."
The daughter, Priya,
slowly started befriending me.
[chuckling] They'd never
let me stay upstairs alone.
They'd keep asking me
to come down and be with them.
And she became close with my daughters.
She kept on asking me about my husband.
After one point,
I was unable to hide any further.
I asked her, "If I tell you,
will you promise to not tell anyone?"
She said, "I won't tell anyone,
tell me the truth."
"I am Veerappan's wife," I told her.
She started talking about
how much she liked him.
And then she said,
"Please let me meet
your husband at least once."
[police officer in English]
This girl in Coimbatore, very outspoken
and very talented in a sense.
She's a bold girl
who can handle situations.
So this girl was an informant for me.
I was there for five years.
He used to say in Tamil,
[in Tamil] "Even if I die, these mongrels
shouldn't find my corpse."
"Their knees
should wear out searching for me."
[in English] It's so, so difficult
to catch him inside the forest.
We used choppers, we used thermal images.
Technology available was used.
There was no result.
We did not know where he is,
we did not know what we are doing.
[chuckling] Most of the time, you search
in a place where there is no Veerappan.
But we search, thinking that he's there.
I found this a futile task.
I said, "Something we are missing."
"Something we are missing.
This is not the way to search."
"To catch him inside the forest,
it's impossible."
"So we should lure him out of the forest."
We had the information
that Veerappan is desperately
searching for his wife
to meet the daughters.
[in Tamil] He had never seen
his second daughter.
[in English] This girl was given
the code name "The Coimbatore Girl."
We had already fed this girl
about what to tell Muthulakshmi.
"We can meet him in our estate,
which we have in Kothagiri."
"It's an ideal place for meeting."
[Muthulakshmi in Tamil] So me,
my daughters along with Priya went there.
They made rotis and chicken gravy.
She said, "No one will know
if your husband comes here."
"I'll make some arrangements," I said.
[Kannan in English] As planned, Veerappan
was on his way to Kothagiri.
There were snipers inside the forest.
We've, in fact,
put explosives all along the huts.
And everything was set.
[animal calling]
[suspenseful music playing]
[Muthulakshmi in Tamil] Priya was
very curious to know about certain things
and questioned me again and again.
The fact that she took me
to the forest again and again.
When I thought about everything she did,
that was when it clicked.
"Something is wrong."
"I shouldn't be here anymore."
"I should leave this place," I decided.
[Kannan in English] Muthulakshmi
smelled out that something is happening.
Veerappan came 20 kilometers
from the point of meeting,
then he returned back.
Had he come inside the tea estate,
Veerappan would have been shot.
[Interviewer] Do you think it was right
to involve the family?
[Kannan] Safety of the family was ensured.
Moreover, the family
was not exploited to get Veerappan.
They wanted to meet.
We facilitated the meeting
with our own agenda. That's all.
But catching him
as an outlaw is my problem.
Learning was that Veerappan
can be lured out of the forest.
[Sunaad] This was a brand-new STF
that I had not seen before.
Very ferocious.
Absolutely tactical.
Crores of rupees of public money
had already been spent.
Far too many officers
had laid down their lives.
A lot many officers
were still on the pursuit of this one man.
[reporter in Tamil] Bring it
[in English] No mic, thank you
[reporter] Sir, anything special?
-Nothing to
-[reporter] Sir?
-Sir, how many Sir?
-No, we can't
[reporter] Sir, how many days are you
-No, we have no details
-[reporter] Veerappan.
How many days, sir?
We can't divulge these details.
These are matters
of tactical, uh, interest.
So we'll not be sharing
[indistinct chatter]
[K Arkesh] When Mr. Vijay Kumar
came as the task force commander to STF,
he was a superior soldier
among other soldiers.
He was in the Special Protection Group
which provided security
to the Prime Minister.
So humble and had no ego.
And he was a thorough professional.
[Kannan] When Mr. Vijay Kumar took charge,
lot of welfare activities were pumped in
with the help of the government.
Conducted medical camps.
The damage done by the STF in the past
by doing atrocities in the villages,
that was drastically reduced.
No villagers were taken into custody.
We planted
a lot of sources in the villages
and protected their identity.
Mr. Vijay Kumar used his operation
based on my intelligence.
Strategy was to penetrate
the gang in such a way
that I'm able
to take him out of the forest.
So, we came to know three or four people
from different villages
who were in touch with Veerappan.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Trader in Tamil] The only reason
I ask you not to reveal my identity
or show my face
is because this is information
that two states
have held as a secret for so long.
How will I be able
to disclose all this openly in public?
I used to be a trader
near the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border.
None of my family or friends knew
I had met the Jungle King Veerappan.
I had operated carefully
for three months now.
I got them milk powder, apples, grapes,
dates, sweets, whatever they wanted
some four, five times.
And they gave me the money for it.
That was all.
We shared no other relationship.
But I knew something was wrong.
The gang was using few village men
to supply them food and other stuff.
Later I came to know that
the Tamil Nadu police
had caught all of them.
I felt the police were closing in.
I had a one-year-old daughter.
And every time I looked at her,
I would shiver in panic.
If the Karnataka police nabbed me,
they'd kill me.
But I'd survive
if the Tamil Nadu police caught me.
They might put me in jail
for five to ten years.
Those were terrible times.
So I decided to tell the truth
to save myself from further trouble.
That was the first time
I saw ADGP Vijay Kumar sir in person.
"I made a big mistake."
"I met Veerappan, sir."
Vijay Kumar sir asked me to remain calm
and go about my business as per usual.
"No one will harm you."
"No one can overrule me here."
"I'm the leader of both
the states' STF force, right?"
"Do exactly as he says."
"You won't face any obstacles
from us anymore."
"We just want to know his needs
and what we can do
to fulfill those needs."
He asked me to be courageous
and head into the forest.
-[suspenseful music playing]
-[distant birds chittering]
Forest King Veerappan
was seated across from me.
He was combing his mustache.
An old ferocious lion-like face
with folded hands.
"We need an important person."
"Kolathur Mani."
"You need to meet him and bring him here.
That's critical for me to reach my goals."
[tape recorder clicking]
[Veerappan over tape recorder]
Brother, this is Veerappan speaking.
I need to meet you at the earliest.
I have a lot to discuss with you.
There are only three of us.
We don't have any manpower.
The demons
are closely watching this place.
I am eagerly waiting to meet you
and discuss several things with you.
Thanks a lot, brother. See you.
[tape recorder turns off]
I just went to find out what it was.
I went because I had to.
I had a soft corner for him.
[pensive music playing]
[Trader] When Mani and I went,
Veerappan gave him a tight hug.
[Kolathur Mani] They didn't say it openly,
but they couldn't hold out any longer.
They said,
"We are being constantly hunted,
and we are constantly fleeing,
there is police everywhere we go."
His eyesight deteriorated.
He felt it was due to
the hair dye that he was using.
He wanted to get an eye surgery.
I told him it was impossible
to bring doctors here
and that he had to come out.
He didn't have enough understanding
about the medical procedures.
He said, "Some particles have to be
simply removed from my eyes, why not?"
That is when he tells me that
he wants to go to Eelam, Sri Lanka.
I said, "That is hard."
"You can't get out so easily.
There are police everywhere."
I said that to calm him down.
Then he dropped it.
He called me a couple of days later.
"Brother, please do something."
[Interviewer]
Did others know about this plan?
I don't know,
the news could have gone out.
[Trader] I immediately
passed on this information to the police.
I felt like a chameleon
that is stuck in between these two groups.
I told Vijay Kumar sir,
"Veerappan has a childlike heart."
"Please don't kill him by mistake."
He responded,
"That is the talent he possesses."
"He gets things done only by showing
his childlike heart
to the people he meets."
They asked me not to underestimate him
due to his childlike attitude.
In a shaky voice I said,
"Sir, I am scared."
"Nothing to fear.
Things are falling into place."
"You don't have to be worried.
We are closing in."
[Kannan in English] He has no weaknesses.
He is a person who never used to drink.
Nor was he a womanizer.
God-fearing type.
And believes in astrology.
And goes by his instinct.
He has seen so much of blood in life.
He was not a coward
or he didn't have fear for anything.
Had he remained in the forest,
he was invincible.
Strategy is to understand
the person's weakness.
He had 70% cataract,
he couldn't walk in the night.
That was his major concern.
Secondly, getting more weapons
was his interest.
For that, he was looking for a contact.
This is the beginning of the end.
[suspenseful music playing]
Mostly, the conduit would come after two,
three days and meet me in person.
One of the most important
information which he provided
was about a gunrunner
who was supposed to supply
weapons to Veerappan on a specified date.
We intercepted the gunrunner.
Converted this person to our advantage.
We told him,
"You give the weapons to Veerappan
through the conduit,
as you had already planned."
"But say that these weapons are procured
from the LTTE cadres of Sri Lanka."
And a person named Mugilan
had supplied him.
[Interviewer] Who is Mugilan?
[suspenseful music playing]
[Sunaad] The STF was undertaking
its most radical gambit yet
to create out of whole cloth
a character to interact with Veerappan.
This Mugilan would be a perfect foil
for all of Veerappan's wants and desires.
And Veerappan's only shot
at saving his own skin.
[Kannan] I acted as Mugilan.
[Interviewer] Why would he trust
a faceless guy?
He's not met this person.
That is what is my bloody job. [chuckles]
Mugilan has contact
with the Sri Lankan Tamils.
Particularly, the Tamil Eelams.
[in Tamil] Gunrunner informs Veerappan
that I am a powerful guy.
And the one who facilitates
meetings with Prabhakaran.
"Also will take care of your eye problem."
And asks Veerappan
to contact Mugilan directly.
[in English] Then the gunrunner
was arrested
for violations and booked accordingly.
For three, four months
I was in contact with him.
I used to supply logistics
including weapons and all.
All the weapons had the bearing of LTTE.
And all the bullets
and everything was from LTTE.
So he was honored that
he was receiving weapons from so-and-so.
And we are also repairing his guns.
He got convinced that I was a true
representative of the Tamil Eelam group.
Then he tells about
his plan of visiting Sri Lanka.
Wanted his eye to be operated.
I also offered an opportunity
for him to meet the Tamil Eelam leader
which he was
very much aspiring for a long time.
[tape recorder clicks]
[Veerappan in Tamil over tape recorder]
Prabhakaran too formed an organization
with 12 members.
This organization of 12 people
grew to become LTTE.
And now they rule a part of Sri Lanka.
We need to strive hard for it.
Our efforts will be
proportionately rewarded.
[Interviewer in English]
You fooled Veerappan?
-Hmm?
-You fooled Veerappan?
That's the only way out.
He was fooling us for 20 years.
[Muthulakshmi in Tamil]
We were determined to get out of here.
The situation was aligning towards that.
His idea was that if we go to Sri Lanka,
no one would be able to do anything to us.
And we could live as a family.
Prabhakaran also would take care of us.
[Interviewer] The news reached Prabhakaran
and he responded?
That's the information my husband gave me.
Prabhakaran told my husband that,
"He should be in a safe place.
He's suffered all these years."
"Let's not use him for our battles."
"If he reaches here,
we'll give him some rest."
"Let him stay in a different city
along with his family."
This was the news my husband received.
[pensive music playing]
[Trader] I have never seen him
so happy in the six, seven times
that I have seen him before.
He had that trademark mustache of his.
He was wearing a green shirt and pants.
He hugged me [kisses]
and kissed me on my right cheek.
He sighed in relief, saying,
"You have helped in putting
an end to all our struggles."
"No plan of mine
has failed in all these years."
"But from now on,
you will have to be extremely careful."
"You should always ensure no one
outside knows anything about all this."
"Do you understand?"
I said, "Okay, brother."
My eyes were welling up with tears
without even me realizing it.
I was hoping in my heart
that no harm befalls this man.
He said, "Brother, these past few days,
Goddess Kali has been warning
of a few things in my dreams."
"Sometimes there is fear in my heart."
"I don't understand any of it."
I told him, "Brother, please be careful."
"In case something bad happens, let it.
No one can stop it."
He spoke this way
"I am going to die someday anyway."
"But I just don't want to die
at the hands of the police."
[suspenseful music playing]
This was the last thing that happened
on the night of October 13th.
[Interviewer] Were you ever tempted
in a situation like this
to tell him the truth?
[Trader] Yes.
The thought crossed my mind twice.
[Kannan in English]
The secret is always between two.
If a third person is involved,
it is a news.
Myself and Vijay Kumar
ensured confidentiality.
Ensured the secrecy doesn't leak.
Around one week before,
that it seems that the coast is clear,
it's easy to cross now.
"Can you be available around
next week anytime to be taken?"
So he just worked out and said,
"18th of October is fine."
[Sunaad] Somewhere in the depths
of the jungles
around Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu,
a whole set of events
were about to take place.
A police van which was
made to look like an ambulance,
waited quietly
on a remote stretch of road.
Veerappan and three of his associates
got into that van quite unceremoniously.
[Kannan] In the cabin we had kept
one Goddess photograph.
In the center of the forehead
was a very expensive camera from Taiwan.
[in Tamil] Since it was
a sensitive camera, I was able to watch
the positions of the gang members
inside the cabin.
[in English] He is very confident
and the face does not give any emergency,
[in Tamil] any doubtfulness
or any suspicion.
Vijay Kumar sir and I were 90% sure
that they would take the main route.
[in English] The vehicle
is coming towards our direction.
[suspenseful music continues]
If the light
of the ambulance is revolving,
that means they are armed.
So there was a very tense moment because
[in Tamil] we can't guess what'll happen.
[in English] We had three commando teams.
All snipers.
Ready to open fire.
And we took positions.
I was watching the movement of Veerappan.
And he was totally
in a cool mood to go to Sri Lanka,
to meet the leader, get his eyes operated.
A lorry loaded with sugarcane
was approaching,
immediately our man stopped the vehicle.
Veerappan peeped outside
to see why the vehicle has stopped.
When he saw there was a truck
in the opposite direction,
he was not agitated.
He was not surprised.
"Okay, there is one more truck,
there is a waiting for traffic to clear."
Taking advantage of the one minute,
switching on the light in the rear cabin.
Full light beam was switched on.
There was total brightness
inside the cabin.
The gang realized that they were trapped.
I could see in his face
that "you have betrayed me" look.
But, uh, I was relaxed at that time.
At least the operation is over.
[wind roaring]
[Muthulakshmi in Tamil] I had a dream.
My husband and his men
looked like they were walking out
from Neruppur forest.
There were a lot of police
and they had spotted the gang.
I was thinking, "The police are here
and they haven't realized it yet."
And by then, the police started firing.
I screamed so loudly in my dream.
I started crying for real.
Usually I never get such dreams.
But this time I dreamed
that they were shot.
[Kannan in English] The first shot
went inside Veerappan's head.
And immediately, as soon as it hit
the head, he just collapsed in the front.
Immediately back doors were opened,
and they found that
all four were in a pool of blood.
It was really a very gruesome killing
they had to face.
Perhaps this is one thing Veerappan
would have not expected in his lifetime.
He died without fighting.
[somber music playing]
[camera shutter clicking]
[people clamoring]
[Muthulakshmi in Tamil] On TV,
I saw their four bodies
lined up in the hospital,
covered in black sheets.
MR. VEERAPPAN
I sat there and watched
the news for some time.
When I looked closely,
I recognized my husband's face.
"His mustache is trimmed."
I didn't know what to do,
or how to get there.
I was alone there.
-[people clamoring]
-[vehicle horns honking]
People were pouring in
from everywhere into the hospital.
[woman 1] I'm going to see.
-[man] See what?
-[women] See Veerappan.
-[man] What happened to Veerappan?
-[woman 1] Yes.
-[man] What did they do to him?
-[woman 2] We are going to see Veerappan.
[woman 3] They shot him dead.
[woman 2] We don't know
what happened to him.
We haven't seen him yet.
So we are curious to go and see him.
We came at 11:00 p.m. and we are
still hanging around to see him.
[people clamoring]
[Muthulakshmi] There was
a group of STF police in there.
They were jumping around with guns,
and lifted Vijay Kumar up.
-[all cheering]
-[camera shutters clicking]
When I saw the police
do that, I got furious.
I don't know what I said,
but I said something out of anger.
[Kolathur Mani] Muthulakshmi was sitting
inside the vehicle alone.
She said, "Brother, they're not
letting me take him home."
"They're saying
that they'll burn the body now."
[indistinct chatter]
They were arranging tires
and logs of wood.
[indistinct chatter]
I said, "What's your job here,
it was over as soon as you shot him."
"To bury him or burn him,
today or tomorrow,
the family will decide the rest."
"You do not interfere in this."
We are waiting
for his brother and his daughters.
They will take the call
on his final rites after they come here.
[Interviewer] What were you feeling
while looking at Veerappan's body?
[Kolathur Mani] It didn't do much to me.
I'm not saying this out of anger or hate.
I felt it would be a relief
to people that he died.
The people suffered a lot.
The sorrow that the people near
the forest border felt was immense.
For the people, it's like
a huge battle that came to an end.
[camera shutters clicking]
[in English] This was indeed a difficult
mission because he was a worthy foe.
It was not very easy to get him.
It was coming at the end
of a long wait, a desperate wait.
The boys in the STF are the heroes.
I worship them, I salute them.
[people cheering]
I was happy that the end came
for this cruel animal-like human being
who was a curse on humanity.
But to even a layman,
the manner in which he was killed
raises certain doubts.
[female newsreader] Questions abound
on Operation Cocoon.
Why was the ambulance
sealed off to the media?
Why did the ambulance
have so many bullet marks through it,
and Veerappan,
only very neat bullet wounds
near his head and neck?
As if he was being shot at close range.
Why was Veerappan's body shown
to the cameras only from neck up?
[in Kannada] Everyone is shot right here.
How can all four be shot in the same spot?
[in Tamil] The government
must have planted something
to make it look like they shot him,
and they claimed the credit.
[Muthulakshmi] It is one big lie.
They had trimmed my husband's mustache.
My husband would rather die
than remove his mustache.
He would never accept anything like this.
[crying]
All of this was staged.
[Interviewer] Someone who was at the spot,
and risked his life
for 12 years to catch Veerappan
says he was there and it happened.
-Hmm.
-Would you accept this as the truth?
Not in a million years.
[man announcing indistinctly in Tamil]
[Jayalalitha] Today is a very special day
in the history of Tamil Nadu police.
The struggle that lasted for 20 years
-has ended in 20 minutes.
-[applause]
For protecting us
from the further disasters,
a one-step promotion,
three lakhs prize money,
and a plot of land
I give away with happiness.
[applause]
[Kannan in English] I had my stint
in STF from 1999 to 2004.
Some press people will ask me,
"Sir, it's in the press
that you poisoned Veerappan."
"Then you brought him outside."
Lot of versions came in.
"Just answer me three questions."
"First, whether Veerappan is dead or not?"
All said, "Yes, sir. Veerappan is dead."
"You believe that?" "Yes."
"The cause of Veerappan's death is STF."
"Any dispute in this?"
"Yes, sir. No doubt.
STF is reason for killing of Veerappan."
"In between the gaps,
you write any story. I don't mind."
[chuckles]
"I will neither defend your story
nor try to approve your story."
"You write
whatever your imagination says."
[solemn music playing]
My point was, STF was given
the task to accomplish.
It has been accomplished.
And there ends the matter.
[Ashok Kumar] Seven years of my life
I spent in jungle.
Karuppasamy, Navas,
so many other officers,
they spent at least 15 years inside.
Fire!
Lot of mental suffering was there.
Prolonged Special Task Force
would definitely dent any family.
[in Tamil] My family members
and family life, all of us
[in English] We suffered it.
[solemn music continues]
We have worked to the cost of our life.
And many officers knew
that they are going to die.
Still there was allegation
on the entire force.
Finally, Mr. Shankar Bidari
was questioned.
Shankar Bidari told,
"Sir, what all good things
I've done in the operation,
the credit goes to my team."
"If you find any mistakes,
if you say these are the faults,
I'll take responsibility."
See, that is the word of a leader.
And finally, the commission
could not take any action on anybody.
2004 he was killed.
Till all these years,
no repetition of such crime
in that entire area.
That means, uh,
police have solved the problem.
Yeah.
[gripping music playing]
[Anburaj in Tamil]
Veerappan may have died.
But the reason for a Veerappan
to exist in the first place,
those social issues,
were they ever discussed?
Huge violations done by government forces
were buried deep inside these forests.
Lives ripped apart
in the name of Veerappan.
So many unspoken deaths, molestations,
lives destroyed and buried
like the truth in this case.
Though the forest looks beautiful
in one perspective,
in my mind, sometimes I hear a roar.
Someone's scream
just before they are going to be shot.
I can hear such wailing.
People saw Veerappan
as a hero and a leader.
It is the bitter and sad truth.
If citizens are ready
to accept a criminal,
wanted by the government, as a hero,
it shows that the government dealt with
this situation in a despicable manner.
[Muthulakshmi] I got introduced
to the world
as Muthulakshmi, Veerappan's wife.
[indistinct conversation]
After all the difficulties I faced,
I have finally come back to my home soil,
trusting you people.
Please think of me
as your daughter and be by my side.
What we feel is that, my husband
challenged the police and took them on
and lived a fearless life.
We respect his bravery.
[Interviewer] What is bravery
according to you?
[Muthulakshmi]
Bravery is being absolutely fearless.
No matter how big the problems are,
one should face them
and live on this earth.
One should work hard
and keep moving forward.
Even when an enemy comes,
one should fight and win.
[solemn music playing]
[Interviewer] To me,
the act of killing is not bravery.
All right.
-[wind whistling]
-[birds chirping]
[Veerappan over tape recorder]
"My wife is a warrior."
When you come next time,
I will tell you in person.
What happened was injustice,
no one can do anything about it.
Those in power have their laws.
And so do I.
Only the sky gods and forest deities
know my whole truth.
[theme song playing]