Residents, elected representatives and police personnel gathered at the memorial in the Town police station premises in Tirupattur on Saturday to pay their respects to police personnel who sacrificed their lives during the anti-Naxal operation of Tirupattur in 1980.
Retired Director General of Police Walter Devaram, who was the then Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for the erstwhile North Arcot district, placed wreaths and paid respect to his slain colleagues on the 42nd Commemoration Day of the successful completion of Operation Ajanta, which freed the dry northern districts, especially Tirupattur and Jolarpet, from Naxalism. “Their (slain police personnel) selfless sacrifice will always be remembered. It will inspire other policemen in performing their duties,” said Z. Annie Vijaya, DIG (Vellore range), after paying her respects on the occasion.
Amar Kushwaha, Tirupattur Collector; K.S. Balla Krisshnan, Superintendent of Police (SP), Tirupattur; P. Kannammal, SP, ‘Q’ Branch; and M. Ashokkumar, retired SP, were present.
Recollecting the incident and the operation, officials said it was on August 6, 1980, Jolarpet Inspector V. Palanisamy and three constables – S. Adikesavalu (head constable of the Vellore North police station), R. Yesudoss and C. Murugesan –were killed in a bomb attack by Naxalite Sivalingam of Jolarpet. His associate Selvam was also killed when the bomb was hurled at the policemen, who were on their way to the Tirupattur taluk police station. Sivalingam went into hiding after the killings and was arrested only a decade and a half ago in 2009.
After the attack during the operation, the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, christened it ‘Operation Ajanta’ after Palanisamy’s six-year-old daughter. Since then, August 6 has been observed as Commemoration Day of anti-Naxal Operations in Tirupattur.
Officials said more than 100 police personnel formed several teams and encountered 19 Naxalites, including prominent Naxal members, Kannamani, Rathinavel, Anbu and Irutupatchai.
