Tamil Nadu suspends brigand killer on retirement day, recalls order

CHENNAI: S Velladurai, an additional superintendent of police credited with gunning down forest brigand Veerappan in 2004, was placed under suspension on the day of his retirement. He had also earned a sobriquet of ‘encounter specialist.’ Tamil Nadu home department’s suspension order referred to his involvement in the custodial death of Kumar alias Kokki Kumar alias Ramu, reported on Jun 6, 2013, at Thirupachethi in Sivaganga district.

Velladurai came to prominence after he gunned down history-sheeter Ayodhyakuppam Veeramani on Marina Beach in 2003.

On Oct 18, 2004, Velladurai again shot to fame when he pulled the trigger on forest brigand Veerappan. The Veerappan killing was a milestone because between the brigand’s first arrest in 1972 and the encounter killing in 2004, he had killed more than 180 people and 500 elephants for their tusks. He had felled countless sandalwood trees and defied even a joint Tamil Nadu-Karnataka special task force for about 15 years.