'Positive signals' in militants case

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUG. 20. Even as the Government-emissary, Mr. R.R.Gopal is all set to resume negotiations with the brigand, Veerappan, after reaching his hideout today, the Tamil Nadu Government sent positive signals on dropping some of the 15-odd cases against the five Tamil militants jailed in the State.

While the Tamil biweekly, Nakkeeran office here is yet to receive any definitive word till late this evening on the resumption of talks to secure the release of the Kannada actor, Mr. Rajkumar, and three others, an Erode report said the emissary had handed over the responses of the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Governments to the brigand's demands.

It said that besides giving a cassette to Veerappan, Mr. Gopal had also passed on the medicines he had brought for Mr. Rajkumar. The hostages had been shifted through six places by now and Mr. Gopal had met the outlaw in a ``new place in the Thalamalai forest'', the report claimed.

Sources in Chennai said that something ``positive'' was expected to emerge tomorrow, amid Government's consideration of the legal issues related to withdrawal of all the other cases *against the five Tamil ultras, belonging to the TNLA and TNRT extremist outfits, ``proceeding on the right lines''.

With the five militants declining bail offers in the other cases, which the Government thought would be an easy way out to facilitate their release, officials are now poring over legal niceties and case-histories to help resolve the imbroglio.

At the same time, with the aid of Nakkeeran Associate Editor, Mr. Kamaraj, efforts are also on to persuade the prisoners to move bail applications on the `hard' cases. The release of the five has been one of Veerappan's key demands.

Even as cases ``difficult to withdraw'' were being examined separately, the State Government received a telex message last night from the Union Home Ministry clearing its move to drop some of the cases against the ultras.

These pertained to cases where damage to Central Government property was involved and certain others which came under the purview of legal provisions in the Central list, it is learnt.

Before processing each case, sources said, they were ``speeding up things'', but without any procedural deviation and after obtaining the required sanctions from various quarters.

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