T.N., Karnataka awaiting word from Gopal

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, AUG. 20. The Government is unable to decide on the next course of action for the release of Mr. Rajkumar and three others held hostage by Veerappan as no word has come from Mr. R.R.Gopal, emissary to the brigand, in the last 48 hours.

The TADA-designated judge, Mr. Rajendra Prasad, dropped the charges against 51 TADA detenus lodged in the Mysore Jail on Saturday following the State Government decision to meet the demand of the brigand. The Tamil Nadu Government has been meditating on the release of five militants, which is another of his demands.

The two governments are awaiting information from Mr. Gopal for taking further action to bring the 21-day kidnap drama to an end. Sources told The Hindu that the release of the hostages depended on the release of the militants. Since it was felt that Veerappan was making the demands at the behest of the TNLA and TNRT activists, the release of these militants by the Tamil Nadu Government assumed importance. With no information from Mr. Gopal, it was difficult to speculate on Veerappan's mind, they added.

The lawyers of the TADA detenus in Mysore jail are expected to file their bail applications on Monday and they will be released soon.

Veerappan was insisting on the unconditional release of the militants and the withdrawal of cases against them. This had put the Tamil Nadu government in a fix. In such a situation, it was likely that the release of the hostages would be delayed, sources said.

The deadline set by the brigand expired today. A new line of action had to be adopted now. The legal implications involved in the release of the militants and their reported refusal to accept bail indicated that Veerappan wanted them as his associates. This had given a new dimension to the issue as the brigand would not be ready to accept the Tamil Nadu Government's assurances merely on paper, sources said.

Referring to the possible hideout of Veerappan, they said that it might be between Thalaimalai forest and Talwadi. He continued to move along the fringes of the forests, they added.

It is being debated whether Veerappan would continue to extend the hostage drama considering the "high-profile" nature of the issue. Since he had to protect the hostages, Veerappan might decide to release them, sources felt.

His gang is not known to camp at one place for long. Though the forestry operations such as plantations are going on within the Sathyamangalama forest division, no intelligence is available on the location of the gang and its movements. Even Gopal has to wait for instructions from Veerappan before he is taken by his associates to their hideout. There is hardly any communication network in the forest, and it is said that any information from Mr. Gopal will take some time to reach the authorities.

It remains to be seen whether Veerappan will be convinced by Mr. Gopal's assurances and the transcripts from both the governments.

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Section  : Southern States
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