Nagappa incommunicado

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, OCT. 4. Mr. Nagappa Maradagi, assistant film director, who ``escaped'' from the clutches of the forest brigand, Veerappan, seems to have now landed in captivity of a different kind.

After Mr. Nagappa addressed a press conference at the Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna's official residence on Friday, he was admitted to a city hospital and discharged the same evening. However, no one is sure where Mr. Nagappa, his wife, Ms. Nalini, and their daughter, Divya, have been staying since Friday evening.

According to senior police officers, who spoke to The Hindu on condition of anonymity, Mr. Nagappa and his family are staying in the house of a popular Kannada actor in the city. However, they refused to disclose the actor's name or the whereabouts of Mr. Nagappa.

Police officers in Bangalore said that Mr. Nagappa and his family had been told not to speak to anyone, including the press. ``They are practically under house arrest,'' an officer said.

However, the reason for Mr. Nagappa and his family being put under ``house arrest'' is not known. The Srirampuram residence of Mr. Nagappa has been locked since Friday afternoon, and police have been posted there.

Sources in the Kannada film industry said that Mr. Nagappa's life had undergone a sea change from the time he came to Bangalore from Maradagi village in Dharwad district in search of a job about 15 years ago. Mr. Nagappa, who came in close contact with the Kannada matinee idol, Mr. Rajkumar's son-in-law, Mr. S. A. Govindaraju, who is one of the persons being held hostage by Veerappan, became his camp follower.

Vajreshwari Combines, one of the biggest film units in the State owned by Mr. Rajkumar's family, gave Mr. Nagappa his first job and he rose from the ranks to assistant film director. However, film industry sources claim that Mr. Nagappa's work was largely incidental. It was his proximity to Mr. Rajkumar's family that gave him a standing in the industry.

What is intriguing is that Mr. Nagappa escaped leaving his ``godfather''. Probably, this has led to police asking him not to speak to the press. Any statement by him on Veerappan's hideouts, his tactics and his men may make it difficult for the hostages.

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