Talks with Veerappan may suffer setback

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, SEPT. 2. The ongoing negotiation with the jungle outlaw, Veerappan, to secure the release of his `star' captive, Mr. Rajkumar, is likely to suffer a setback and the hostage crisis may further prolong, official sources said here.

Though the State Government has not received any message today from the official negotiator, Mr. R. R. Gopal, who is in the forest on a third mission, sources said the Supreme Court's indefinite stay on the release of 30 TADA detenus as demanded by Veerappan will further delay the end of the kidnap drama.

``The crisis is bound to get complicated as Veerappan continues to be firm on his two conditions - release of the 121 TADA detenus in Karnataka jails and five Tamil extremists in Tamil Nadu prisons'', a source said.

Officials are also apprehensive that the release of the five Tamil ultras will get caught in a web of litigations. The State Government, however, is yet to receive the notice issued by the Supreme Court on a petition related to the release of the TADA detenus, besides the petition filed by the retired police officer in Karnataka in which the apex court extended the stay orders yesterday, sources said.

Meanwhile, in another video cassette containing a 10-minute appeal from Mr. Rajkumar to the people of Karnataka to remain calm and a 20-minute conversation between the `Nakkeeran' Editor, Mr.Gopal and Veerappan, which arrived here yesterday, the outlaw has demanded ``concrete action'' State Governments on his various demands.

Apart from firmly sticking to his two main demands of release of his 121 `accomplices' in Karnataka and the five Tamil militants in Tamil Nadu, Veerappan has demanded announcement of the date of installation of the statue of Tamil saint-poet Tiruvalluvar in Bangalore and recommencement of Sadhasivam Commission of Inquiry on the STF ``excesses''. He has also demanded immediate compensation for the victims of 1991 riots over the Cauvery water issue in the video-tape recorded much before the Supreme Court ruling, a ``Nakkeeran'' press release said here yesterday.

However, the release added that Mr. Gopal has convinced the brigand on the efforts taken by the Governments to install the statue and restart the hearing of inquiry panel.

The Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, however, ducked queries on the contents of the video tape and told the media yesterday, ``efforts (to convince Veerappan) will continue and we are hopeful of a good solution''.

Meanwhile, the AIADMK chairman, Mr. K. Kalimuthu, in a statement, claimed that the Supreme Court order staying the release of detenus had vindicated the stand of the AIADMK general secretary, Ms. Jayalalitha, that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Governments were to blame for the Veerappan affair.

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Section  : Southern States
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