The story behind the Netflix documentary series The Hunt for Veerappan is almost mythical. Considered by many to be a criminal and known as the Robin Hood of India, the show details a manhunt that became the longest and most expensive in India’s history.
Veerappen was a poacher who became a domestic terrorist, and the four-part series presents viewers with inside stories of the dangerous exploits of the notorious character.
The series was directed by Selvamani Selvaraj and covers the life and death of the outlaw.
Born in 1974, Muthulakshmi was born in Neruppur, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu. She would marry Veerappan in 1990. The marriage was not looked upon positively by Muthulakshmi’s father, who did not seem to trust Veerappan at all.
He would tell the smuggler that his daughter was already engaged, but this did not deter the couple, and they would run away and get married in a forest temple. Veerappan would live in the forest with her husband, and this would bring her no end of heartache and distress.
After the death of her husband, she fell into a depression and attempted suicide, but the attempt was unsuccessful; as she recovered, a policeman found her work at a textile mill, where she would work while keeping her real identity a secret.
The nature of Veerappan’s activities would lead to her being the subject of investigation, and she would also be arrested for allegedly being involved in his criminal activities. Her treatment at the hands of the authorities would be scrutinized when it was reported that she had been tortured by the police involved in the case against Veerappan.
Eventually, she would find her calling, and in 2006, she would appear as a candidate in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
Among Muthulakshmi’s future campaigns was a successful attempt to advocate for the government to make fresh water readily available for farmers, and another project involved her aiding underprivileged residents who live along the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
In 2019 she would become a member of the Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai political party, pursuing her ambition to provide better services to local communities.
Reports state that the politician still lives in Salem in Tamil Nadu.
Muthulakshmi has two daughters named Vidya Rani and Prabha. They were born in 1991 and 1993 respectively.
There had been stories of a third daughter who had died in a disturbing story that involved the child being strangled in Veerappan’s jungle base.
Read More: Where is Prabha Vijayalakshmi Now? Veerappan’s Daughters Explained
