Another cassette on the way?

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUG. 9. With no signs of an immediate end to the kidnap drama, another audio cassette with messages from the abducted Kannada thespian, Mr. Rajkumar, and the official emissary, Mr. R. R. Gopal, editor of the Tamil bi-weekly Nakkeeran, is expected to reach Chennai anytime now.

The first pictures of Mr. Rajkumar in the forests after his abduction from his ancestral home in Gajanur would also reach Chennai along with the cassette, an official press release from the office of the Director-General of Police said here. The official communique said Mr. Rajkumar ``is safe and healthy'' according to ``available information''and that the release of the hostages ``may take some more time''.

Mr. Kamaraj, Associate Editor of Nakkeeran, said ``negotiations were on'' for the release of Mr. Rajkumar. He said a journalist of the magazine had telephonically contacted him from the forest to say that Mr. Gopal was continuing talks with Veerappan. An audio tape, possibly containing messages from Mr. Rajkumar and snatches of the conversation between Mr. Gopal and Veerappan and a few pictures, would be sent to Chennai.

In Bangalore, after holding a meeting with the his Home Minister, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, and the Director-General of Police, Mr. C. Dinakar, the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, told presspersons that he had not received any further information from Tamil Nadu.

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