M A I N   N E W S

Rajkumar’s kin released

CHENNAI, Oct 16 (PTI) — Sandalwood smuggler Veerappan tonight freed S.A. Govindaraj, son-in-law of Kannada film icon Rajkumar, after two and half months in captivity, further boosting the hopes of an early release of the matinee idol. 

It was not immediately clear if and when Rajkumar would be freed.

Govindaraj, one of the three hostages held by Veerappan, was freed outside Sathyamangalam forest at 7 p.m. and was travelling to Bangalore, Additional DGP A.X. Alexander (Special Operations) told PTI.

Govindaraj, along with the actor, was one of the four who had been kidnapped on July 30 from the actor’s Doddagajanur farmhouse in Erode district of Tamil Nadu. The others were Nagesh, another relative of Rajkumar, and Nagappa Maradagi, a film assistant director.