Netflix’s “The Hunt for Veerappan” is a documentary series directed by Selvamani Selvaraj that is both perplexing and unsettling, living up to its title in every manner possible. This is due to the fact that it uses both historical audio-video recordings and rare interviews to shed light on how India’s most prolific domestic terrorist was finally brought to justice. Police officer Tiger Ashok Kumar was one of those who appeared here to further the plot; if you’re just interested in learning more about him, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Tiger Ashok Kumar?
Despite being named Biddanda Bopanna Ashok Kumar when he was born in 1977, Ashok apparently spent most of his childhood in Hassan, a village located just 120 miles away in Parane, Virajpet, Karnataka. The truth is that he was allowed to graduate from St. Joseph High School before enrolling at Hassan Government College since his father had a solid reputation as a coffee plantations manager. That is why the young man decided to actively participate in the National Cadet Corps while studying his Bachelor’s in Science after realising his desire was to join the Indian Army.
However, purportedly because of some restrictions, Ashok was unable to go higher and proudly chose to defend his people and his country by enlisting in the Karnataka State Police Service in 1977. Little did anyone know, however, that his dedication, perseverance, and technical aptitude for the work would eventually lead to him being given the moniker “Tiger” by the Home Minister seven years later, in 1984. After that, he went down the same route until 1989, when he was called up to join the newly formed Karnataka Special Task Force (STF), which had the primary mission of apprehending Veerappan, a former forest robber who had turned horrible killer.
In the original series, Ashok was open about his reputation for brutality. “I found a lot of shocking murder cases in Bangalore City. I killed a notorious hooligan who was a city of Bengaluru underworld don. So without a doubt, I believed I could defeat Veerappan. Unfortunately, as time went on, he came to the sad realisation that perhaps he had been a little overconfident, since the criminal had always managed to evade him in this lengthy cat-and-mouse game. Even the STF allegedly believed their mission would last no longer than a year or two, but it actually lasted almost two decades, that is, until his shooting death in 2004.
Where is Tiger Ashok Kumar Now?
Ashok intended to be a part of the team that ultimately brought Veerappan down, but he was unable to do so since he appeared to have left the STF after being promoted in the early 2000s. However, he had already accomplished some amazing feats by this point, including killing 13 of the criminal’s closest allies on his own and taking part in a total of 18 successful encounters. This official’s receipt of the coveted President of India’s Gold Medal three times—in 1986, 1998, and then a few years later—in 2006—comes as no surprise.
Tiger Ashok Kumar ultimately decided to leave the military on July 31, 2012, after 35 years of loyal service and while proudly serving in the capacity of Assistant Commissioner of Police. As far as we know, he has since made his home in Bangalore with his devoted, encouraging family, where he is still taking precautions. Records indicate that, despite his prior efforts to safeguard the safety of civilians, he still often faces major threats from the criminal underworld.
