Police film aims to scotch bid to project Veerappan as a hero

COIMBATORE: Alerted by the concerted efforts to project late forest brigand

Veerappan

as a do-gooder and a hero, the city police have made a short film to dispel the image. The 15-minute film, directed by head constable C

Maheswaran

attached to the Race Course (traffic) police station, will throw light on Veerappan's atrocities.

Former city police commissioner

A Amalraj

had asked Maheswaran to direct the film. The senior officer granted him permission to travel with the special task force (STF) in

Sathiyamangalam

to meet the tribes in the Erode district, Maheswaran told TOI. "I travelled through hilly terrains to meet the tribes. Veerappan and his aids had assaulted five tribals suspecting that they gave information to the

STF

about his movement. They killed four of them, while one managed to escape with bullet injuries. I interviewed the survivor and visited the places where the encounter was held," he said.

The city police spent thousands of rupees for making the film. "Veerappan was shot dead by STF in October 2004 during Operation Cocoon. But, the younger generation don't know about the operation and even who Veerppan was," said Amalraj, who is now working as commissioner of police in Trichy city. The film will be screened at the police museum, which will start functioning in the British-era Hamilton Club building located on the

State Bank of India

(SBI) Road in the city soon, Amalraj said.