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Book Review ‘Veerappan-Chasing The Brigand: Recounting the chase with aplomb!’


By Nitin A Gokhale

veerappanIf K. Vijay Kumar wanted, he could have written an autobiography — perhaps titled “Supercop”, which would have been a runaway bestseller given the numerous accomplishments he has against his name as an IPS officer. Vijay Kumar was among the first batch of IPS officers to join the SPG, the Special Protection Group that guards Prime Ministers; he also had a successful tenure fighting militancy in Kashmir in the late 1990s while serving in the Border Security Force besides various postings in the Tamil Nadu Police. He is, however, best known for eliminating the dreaded brigand Veerappan in 2004 as head of the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force (STF).

It is therefore fitting that Vijay Kumar has chosen to write on one of the most challenging assignments he undertook in a career spanning over three decades. Veerappan: Chasing the Brigand is an unputdownable book, specially for those who love thrillers.

The book is not fiction, but the incredible detailing that Vijay Kumar has managed to pack into this 250-page book will leave the reader gasping. Interspersed with vignettes from his career and personal life — the brutally hard training he underwent in the Alps after becoming a member of the Close Protection Team (CPT) that forms the innermost ring of protection around the Prime Minister; his experience as SP of Salem district, or the fact that he chose to remain in the IPS despite qualifying for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) — the book traces the painful journey of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka police in trying to capture or kill Veerappan who was truly the lord of the jungle spread over 1,200 sq. km across the three states. Read more
Source: Deccan Chronicle