M A I N   N E W S

Police ‘raring to nab’ Veerappan

BANGALORE, Nov 19 (UNI) — The special task force (STF) is all set to resume its operations to nab forest brigand Veerappan, Karnataka Director-General of Police (DGP) C. Dinakar said today.

“We are in position. We are raring to go”, he told newsmen in response to a question.

The government had suspended the operations soon after film star Dr Rajkumar was abducted along with three others from Doddagajanur in Tamil Nadu on July 30. The STFs of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had been carrying out joint operations against the fugitive for the last few years without any success.

Asked whether there were differences of opinion between the Governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on the issue of launching the “anti-Veerappan” operations, Mr Dinakar said it was rather premature to speak about this. “We will decide our course of action after watching the developments for sometimes”, he added.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna told reporters that his government would consult opposition leaders tomorrow on the STF operation issue.

GULBARGA: Karnataka Home Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge made it clear on Sunday that no promise had been made through the emissaries to Veerappan that the state government would desist from launching any operation once Rajkumar was released from his captivity.

He said the special task force (STF), which was formed earlier, would resume its operation to nab the brigand.

CHENNAI: Political parties in Tamil Nadu are divided on the question of launching commando operation to capture forest brigand Veerappan.

A majority of the leaders favour despatching commando force to jungles to nab the outlaw, while few others, including Tamil Maanila Congress leader G.K. Moopanar, are of the opinion that there was no need for any such operation at this juncture.

NEW DELHI: A petitioner in the Veerappan case before the Supreme Court has demanded the disclosure of “details” of the deal with forest brigand Veerappan for releasing Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar.

“Short of any secrets, the disclosure of which would compromise national security, the entire details of the deal with Veerappan need to be disclosed to the people who have a right to know under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution,” Mr B.L. Wadhera said in a letter to the Union Cabinet Secretary and the Chief Secretaries of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

“There definitely seems to be some deal struck with Veerappan by the Chief Minister of Karnataka through emissary Nedumaran. That is what Nedumaran referred to in his press conference on Friday after he made Rajkumar eat his words about his having feigned illness on the advice of a woman doctor, etc,” Wadhera said in his letter on Saturday.