Gopal for the forests again

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUG. 25. The emissary-journalist, Mr. R. R. Gopal, will undertake his third mission to the Sathyamangalam forest on August 28 with ``two vital clarifications'' related to the release of prisoners in Karnataka, to convince the forest brigand, Veerappan, to free the Kannada actor, Mr. Rajkumar, and three other hostages.

As the crisis entered the 27th day today, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, after a 100-minute meeting with his Karnataka counterpart, Mr. S. M. Krishna, told a press conference here that the ``step-by-step legal formalities'' were delaying the release of the detenus there, over which Veerappan had sought clarifications.

Pointing out that Mr. Gopal, who returned to Chennai yesterday from the forest, had explained the ``doubts'' raised by Veerappan in this regard, Mr. Karunanidhi said the release of 121 prisoners, including 51 TADA detenus, from Mysore prison, was the key issue now.

``The process of releasing the 121 prisoners on bail is on,'' he said. With the hearing on those applications having been posted by the Mysore court to August 28, ``we are confident all of them will get bail that day,'' he added in the presence of Mr. Krishna.

On the second issue raised by Veerappan, compensation to the victims of the ``excesses'' committed by the joint special task force (STF), constituted by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, in the forest area during 1992-93, Mr. Karunanidhi said the interim stay against the Justice Sadasivam Commission of Inquiry had been vacated now.

While the panel was set up by the National Human Rights Commission in 1999 to probe the excesses, Mr. Karunanidhi said the compensation recommended by the Commission in its final report would be paid to the victims.

As the first step, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka would each set up a corpus of Rs. 5 crores, totalling Rs. 10 crores, for compensating the victims of the STF ``excesses'', said Mr. Karunanidhi. Armed with these clarifications, Mr. Gopal will leave for the forest to try and positively secure the release of the hostages. ``For now, only Mr. Gopal will go,'' he said in reply to a query whether the Nakkeeran editor would take along with him the five Tamil ultras, whose release had been demanded by Veerappan.

On the withdrawal of all the cases against the five militants, Mr. Karunanidhi said the necessary permission from the Centre had been obtained. ``We are ready for withdrawal,'' though its timing would hinge on ``the decision Veerappan conveys to Mr. Gopal this time.'' Asked whether the brigand had set another deadline, Mr. Krishna said he had nothing more to add to what Mr. Karunanidhi had said.

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