Bangalore, August 26
Forest brigand Veerappan has sent a cassette, apparently listing his demands for the release of former Karnataka minister H Nagappa, who was kidnapped by his gang in Chamarajnagar district last night.“A cassette has been left behind by them,” a government source said.
The contents of the cassette were not immediately known, and whether it was left behind at the residence of Nagappa or elsewhere.
Veerappan is known for using video cassette for listing his demands for setting his hostages free.
In a calculated move, Veerappan had struck when the police arrangement was largely confined to the security of thespian Rajkumar and his wife Parvathamma who visited Gajanur, some 90 km from Kamagere village, where Mr Nagappa was kidnapped, yesterday.
Rajkumar was visiting the place for the first time after he was kidnapped and released by Veerappan two years ago.
As special police forces groped for leads in the kidnapping of a senior Janata Dal leader H Nagappa a blame game has started with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa pointing a finger at her Karnataka counterpart alleging that the transfer of a top police official was responsible for last night’s incident.
Prohibitory orders were clamped in Bangalore for a week and security tightened in Tamil-dominated areas in the city.
Appearing to put the blame on S.M. Krishna for the incident, Mr Jayalalithaa said the “sudden transfer” of the former head of the Karnataka STF Kempiah, an Inspector General rank officer, gave Veerappan the “strength and courage” for the kidnapping.
Official sources said here that Mr Nagappa had been warned by the intelligence department that the bandit may try to abduct him but he ignored it. Mr Nagappa himself had been demanding the arrest of the fugitive for several years.
Janata Dal leader and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda claimed that Mr Nagappa was kidnapped for ransom while the state unit of the BJP wanted the state government to take the help of the Centre in securing his release.
PTI
