Coimbatore: With the recovery of the body of former Karnataka minister H Nagappa, the 106-days-old kidnap drama though ended in a tragedy, Veerappan again proved that he was still a force to reckon with in the jungles of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Following are the sequences of events, after Veerappan gained notoriety and monopolised the forest areas since 1987, and virtually striking at will and resorting to abductions to press for his demands.

July 1987: A Tamil Nadu forest officer Chidambaram was kidnapped and lynched.

Jan 1989: Five members of a rival gang were kidnapped and killed.

Aug 1989: Three forest personnel of Begur forest range of Tamil Nadu were killed. Their mutilated bodies were recovered 19 days later.

Jan 1990: A sub-inspector and a head constable were shot by Veerappan gang, following gunning down of two of his members by Tamil Nadu police.

Apr 1990: In a first direct attack, Veerappan ambushed and mowed down three sub- inspectors and a constable, including Dinesh, an officer who had been "hot on his trail".

May 1990: Constituted special task force to nab the poacher.

Nov 1990: Shot and beheaded a deputy conservator of forest R Srinivas. Srinivas was blamed for the death of Mari, Veerappan's sister. Head was traced three years later.

Feb 20,1992: Son of a granite quarry owner kidnapped in Karnataka and Rs 1 crore ransom demanded. Quarry owner paid Rs 15 lakh as ransom.

May 20,1992: Swooped down on Ramapura police station, killing policemen and taking away a cache of arms.

Jun 15,1992: STF killed four of Veerappan's gang in Nellur village. Veerappan sent a note saying, "I will finish all of you."

Aug 14,1992: Veerappan trapped STF SP Harikrishna and 27 police personnel. Bombed Harikrishna, Ahmed and four others.

Apr 1993: A bus carrying Tamil Nadu police personnel was blew up near Palar killing 22 including civilians. Superintendent of police "Rambo" Gopalakrishnan hurt in the attack.

May 1993: Attacked Karnataka SP Gopal Hosur and party at M M Hills, killing six policemen.

Jul 1993: BSF began operations in the forest area and nabbed 19 members of the gang.

Aug 1993: Series of encounters with BSF and Veerappan gang claimed lives of 18 gang members and three policemen. Few months later, Veerappan sent an audio-cassette, seeking amnesty.

Dec 1994: DSP, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Chidambaranathan, and two companions kidnapped from Coimbatore district. They escaped on December 31 after 27 days, under the cover of STF onslaught.

Veerappan's brother, Arjunan and two gang members, Ayyadyrai and Rangaswamy, surrender.

Nov 1995: Three forest officials were kidnapped in the Anthiyur forest in Erode and a ransom of Rs 5 crore sought.

After 20 days, hostages were set free after Rs 3.5 lakh were paid unofficially.

Dec 1995: Veerappan attacks TN STF. Two personnel killed. The attack was in retaliation to avenge the death of Arjuna and Rangaswamy in STF custody, consuming poison.

Jan 1996: Attack on Tamil Nadu SP Tamilselvan and party, killing a constable and injuring the SP.

Apr 1997: After a lull for nearly one year, the bullet-ridden body of his heir apparent "Baby" Veerappan was discovered from the forests.

Jul 1997: Ten forest personnel kidnapped. One was sent back with a surrender offer on a cassette. On August 5 another hostage reached Chennai with Tamil magazine 'Nakkeeran' editor R R Gopal. Others were released later.

Dec 21 '98: Veerappan and gang attacked Vellitiruppur police station in TN, decamped with nine guns and ammunition. After these major operations, Veerappan with reduced strength of his supporters lied low and sought amnesty and held negotiations with Tamil Nadu government.

Apr 28 '99: Another major attack. Three forest officials were kidnapped near Hogenekkal in TN's Dharmapuri district. Sent letters and audio-cassette to the district collector.

Jul 30 2000: The sensational abduction of Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar and four others from Doddagajanur guest house. One of the hostages Nagappa escapes from his clutches. Negotiations through Gopal and other leaders like P Nedumaran seeking release of the actor. The actor was released after 100 days. STF and police personnel from three states intensified search operations.

Veerappan and his gang were reportedly spotted near Chinnampathy area, bordering Kerala, and in an exchange of fire the gang fled and some bags with medicine and arms were recovered from the place.

BSF under DIG Vijayakumar (now Chennai police commissioner) was summoned to assist STF in catching the brigand. However, due to tension along the Indian border, the force was gradually withdrawn.

STF was revamped under former DGP W I Dawaram and search intensified in forest areas of Erode, Salem, Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts. Many of the gang members, accomplices and aides were arrested from various places and huge cash recovered from them, during the operations.

Then came the abduction of Nagappa from his residence on the night of August 25. Though cassettes were sent putting forward his demands, the outlaw set a deadline in the fifth cassette for the release, seeking Kolathur Mani as emissary.

The deadline was never met by Karnataka government, following problems in seeking bails for Mani and the rest his history.

PTI