COIMBATORE: Forest brigand Veerappan was shot dead by a Special Task Force team headed by K Vijay Kumar and NK Senthamarai Kannan 14 years ago. But, a Coimbatore woman, who was involved in a key operation to nab him, has said she is still waiting for rewards promised to her.
M Shanmugapriya of Vadavalli in Coimbatore was recruited by Senthamarai Kannan in 2004 to play a key role in Operation Northern Star, an effort to nab the brigand through his wife Muthulakshmi. Through a series of STF maneuvers, Muthulakshmi ended up living in Shanmugapriya’s house as a tenant. In her four months there, Shanmugapriya befriended her and learnt vital information about Veerappan that she relayed to the STF team. The plan was to lure the brigand to Nilgiris to meet his wife but it failed.
“Key information I shared was about his poor health, diminishing eyesight and where he was hiding in the forest. I risked my life for the department,” she claimed. After Operation Cocoon which ended with Veerappan and four associates shot dead in October 2004, Shanmugapriya said top persons in the STF orally assured her rewards. “But, all I got for my efforts are pain and a bad name,” she told Express.
After 10 years of waiting, Shanmugapriya first wrote to the Prime Minister’s Cell. “We were told they would look into it and were directed to the State Government. However, after several applications, the appeal is still pending at the Director General of Police’s office,” she said, adding she had been recruited through a family friend who was a cop.
Inspector General of Police Senthamarai Kannan acknowledged her role, but said only those involved in the final operation could be rewarded. “We conducted several operations to nab Veerappan, but all did not succeed. Shamugapriya was involved in one such operation. She gave valuable information for that operation. We have recommended rewards for common people and officials from other departments involved in the final operation. We don’t have any say in her case,” he said. DGP TK Rajendran was unavailable for comment.