'Arrested reporter possessed illegal arms'

By Our Correspondent

CHAMARAJANAGAR, NOV. 24. The Superintendent of Police, Mr. P. Harishekaran, has said that the Special Task Force had seized guns, bullets, 20 gelatin sticks and electronic equipment on Thursday on getting information from the arrested Nakkeeran (Tamil magazine) reporter, Mr. Sivasubramaniam. They were buried at a hideout in Kongarakadu forests near the B.R.Hills.

Mr. Harishekaran said Mr. Sivasubramaniam was associated with Ramesh, and had established communication links with the forest brigand, Veerappan. Ramesh was absconding.

A case had been registered by the Chamarajanagar East police against Mr. Sivasubramaniam on charges of supporting the brigand, and holding unlicensed guns and blasting equipment. Police had launched an intense search operation to nab Palaniswamy. He escaped during a combing operation.

Meanwhile, the enquiry on the bail application by Mr. Sivasubramaniam at a Kollegal court has been postponed to Monday.

Release of reporter sought

Our Bangalore Staff Reporter writes:

The Editor of Nakkeeran, Mr. Gopal, today demanded the immediate and unconditional release of his reporter, Mr. Sivasubramaniam.

Dismissing the charges as baseless and false, Mr. Gopal expressed fears that Mr. Sivasubramaniam's life was in danger. ``We are now one thousand per cent afraid. We feel the arrest was to torture him,'' he told presspersons adding that the arrest amounted to a betrayal of press freedom.

Mr. Gopal said the reporter was first charged under Sections 212 and 34 of the IPC, which were both bailable offences. But when efforts were made to secure his release on bail, police came out with an FIR with fresh charges and booked him under the Arms Act, which were non-bailable. ``His (Mr. Sivasubramaniam's) life is in danger and he is being forced to give statements based on which the new FIR has been filed,'' Mr. Gopal said.

He said he had sought appointments with the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers to discuss the matter but they were not available.

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