Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Karnataka to send Mani as emissary?

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE OCT. 15. The Karnataka Government is believed to be working out ways and means to establish communication between the Tamil activist, Kolathur Mani, and the forest brigand, Veerappan, to secure the release of the former Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader, H. Nagappa.

Sources in the State Secretariat told The Hindu today that the Government, which had refrained from taking steps to obtain parole or bail for Mr. Mani, was now in a tight situation since Veerappan was keen on speaking with only Mr. Mani.

A meeting of the State Cabinet scheduled for Thursday is likely to focus on the abduction of Mr. Nagappa and the conditions set by Veerappan for his release, and also to secure the release of Mr. Mani, who is now in Bellary Jail.

Of the three cassettes that Veerappan had sent to the Government, he had emphasised that Mr. Mani should be sent as an emissary in two of them.

Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy, president of the Kollegal taluk unit of the Janata Dal (United), who has also been identified by Veerappan as an emissary, was in Bangalore today along with the son and the son-in-law of Mr. Nagappa.

It was stated that Mr. Mahadevaswamy went "missing" ever since Veerappan said that he could also join Kolathur Mani in the talks. Mr. Mahadevaswamy reportedly went into hiding since he could not face the pressure from various quarters to venture into the forest on a solo expedition in the absence of Mr. Mani.

Mr. Mahadevaswamy, who called on the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, today, is believed to have made it clear that he would meet Veerappan only in the company of Mr. Mani. He has also laid out certain conditions, particularly that the Government should give him an assurance that he would not be harassed after the release of Mr. Nagappa.

Mr. Mahadevaswamy is said to be a popular political figure in Kollegal and a close associate of Mr. Nagappa.

Meanwhile, the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, who has also been attempting to secure the release of Mr. Nagappa in the past few weeks, spoke to the Chief Minister twice over the past two days and assured him of cooperation. It was the former Home Minister and Floor Leader of the Janata Dal (U) in the Legislative Assembly, P.G.R. Sindhia, who initially got in touch with the Defence Minister and sought his cooperation.

It is said Mr. Fernandes had played a key role in getting the release of the Kannada thespian, Rajkumar, who was kidnapped by Veerappan two years ago. The JD(U) leaders have been impressing upon the State Government that the strategy adopted for obtaining the release of Mr. Rajkumar, should be applied in the case of Mr. Nagappa as well.

The sources said the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police, T. Madiyal, and the Security Adviser to the State Government and former DGP, T. Srinivasulu, today spoke to Mr. Mahadevaswamy.

They also recorded an appeal from Mr. Mahadevaswamy addressed to Veerappan seeking the release of the former Minister.

To mount pressure on the State Government, the Janata Parivar has organised a rally in Mysore on Friday.

All senior leaders, including the party's State unit president, C. Byre Gowda, Mr. Sindhia, the JD(S) State unit president, Siddaramaiah, and the Union Minister, V. Srinivas Prasad, are likely to attend the rally.

The JD(U) legislators, Mahadev Prasad and A.R. Krishnamurthy, who hail from the Kollegal region, have organised the rally.

The JD(U) had organised two bandhs in Kollegal and in Chamarajanagar and also a bandh in Nanjangud after the kidnap of Mr. Nagappa.

The sources said there were chances that Mr. Mani could be let out on bail. Should that happen, it would come in useful for the State Government in negotiating the release of Mr. Nagappa.

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