Nedumaran ready to 'persuade' Veerappan to surrender

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, SEPT. 29. The Tamil Nationalist Movement leader, Mr. P. Nedumaran, on Saturday hailed the Special TADA court's judgment setting free 115 of the 123 persons arrested on charges of association with the sandalwood smuggler, Veerappan.

Addressing presspersons soon after the judge, Mr. D. Krishnappa, delivered the verdict here, Mr. Nedumaran said the judgment proved that false cases had been foisted on innocent people. Mr. Nedumaran said that an appeal would be filed soon in the Supreme Court against the conviction of the others.

The police had booked 123 persons under the TADA for their alleged association with the forest brigand. A special court was set up in 1992 to try the accused.

Mr. Nedumaran urged the Karnataka Government to provide compensation to those who were falsely implicated. Many persons who were acquitted had spent nearly nine years as undertrials, he added. The Governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had agreed to provide compensation to the victims of atrocities committed by the Special Task Force (STF) through a Rs. 10-crore fund in the wake of the abduction of the Kannada matinee idol, Mr. Rajkumar, by Veerappan, a year ago.

(The Sadashiva Commission probing the atrocities of the STF constituted to nab Veerappan, was to decide on compensation to the victims. But its proceedings were stayed by the High Court following a petition filed by a former STF official.)

Mr. Nedumaran urged the Government of Karnataka and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to intervene and get the stay vacated, to pave the way for resumption of hearing by the commission.

``The process of paying compensation to the victims will begin only after the commission fixes the amount,'' he said.

He urged the Government to constitute a commission of inquiry to probe the alleged atrocities committed by the police during STF operations. Such a commission should identify the guilty officials, he said.

He thanked the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, for constituting a special court and taking steps to expedite the trial.

Mr. Venugopal, counsel for the accused, said that a speedy trial by the special TADA court could avert frequent hostage crises (an apparent reference to one of the main demands put forward by Veerappan - release of TADA detenus who languished in Mysore jail for years).

Mr. Nedumaran renewed his appeal to the Governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to consider the proposal to grant amnesty to Veerappan for securing his surrender.

``If the Governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu agree on providing him amnesty, I am ready to go into the forests and try to convince Veerappan to surrender,'' he said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : SIMI 'comparatively inactive' in Gujarat
Next     : Hunt is on for Nagori, aide