Chennai, October 19
What is being described as “Operation Cocoon”, which brought to an end the lives of south India’s most hunted forest brigand Veerappan and his three gang members was a planned and extra-ordinary intelligence operation, the combined Special Task Force (STF) chief, Mr K. Vijaykumar, said today.

Addressing a crowded press conference at Dharmapuri, 250 kms from here, exactly 12 hours after the encounter, an elated Mr Vijaykumar said: “It was neither a flash in the pan nor sudden. We had planned it. The ambulance in which Veerappan and his accomplices were travelling were ours and the driver was STF constable Sarvanan.”

He was flanked by Karnataka STF chief Jyothi Prakash Mirzi and Tamil Nadu STF SP Chintamani Kannan, while other STF personnel, who participated in the operation, were behind him clapping frequently as he praised them.

Describing the operation in detail Mr Vijaykumar said: “Veerappan and his accomplices left Padi village situated on the borders of the forest around 10 pm. It was a meticulous plan by us to allure him out of the forest. An STF watcher, Sub-Inspector Velladurai, who was maintaining surveillance spotted the police vehicle turned into an ambulance and telephoned the STF control room.”

“On reaching Papparapatti village, the driver said there was some engine problem and stopped the vehicle and got out saying that he was going to fetch a mechanic. By that time we were on the spot and I, using a microphone, asked Veerappan to surrender.”

“Veerappan and his accomplices replied with bullets fired from a 12 bore Remington shotgun, AK-47s and a self-loading rifle. We returned the fire from a distance of about 15 feet and gradually closed in on the vehicle while firing.”

Mr Vijaykumar admitted that the bullet wound on the left forehead looked like being shot at from close range and said, “We were not sure whether he was dead and had to be shot from close range. We could not stop the fire as I did not want to lose a single STF personnel.”

He said though Veerappan and his men had three grenades they did not use them.

He said the STF team arrived at the pre-determined spot around 10.15 pm and the exchange of fire took place for exactly 20 minutes from 10.50 pm.

Terming “Operation Cocoon” as an “unprecedented intelligence operation”, he said, “We had inundated the forest in these areas with STF men both in uniform and plain clothes. Our plain- clothesmen tried a tremendous job in gathering intelligence by even working as bus conductors, cobblers and salesmen.

We told the villagers to give us information and we will provide medical treatment. We even put men in various jails in Tamil Nadu to gather intelligence.”

He said: “Once we zeroed in on Veerappan, we chose our time and action and it yielded results. We came to know he was having difficulties with his vision and facing a tussle of leadership with his deputy, Govindan.”

Mr Vijaykumar, who was promptly promoted to the rank of DGP from ADGP in Tamil Nadu by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, said it was a joint operation by the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka police.

Thanking the STF men he said: “The boys in the STF are heroes. They slogged it out in the jungles which was not an easy task. I worship them. The credit goes to them.”

He claimed that the core group of Veerappan’s gang had been wiped out and said no DNA test was needed as the STF on the basis of intelligence collected was sure of Veerappan’s identity though he had trimmed his famous long and huge moustache he sported.

Meanwhile, the arch rival of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy asked for a high-level probe to examine Veerappan’s belongings and records and “bring to book those who had been helping the bandit evade the law for so long.” He congratulated the Chief Minister for “bringing to an end the Veerappan menace”, adding that “she was determined and unwavering in the hunt despite the political setbacks she has had.”