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Gopal may not oblige this time

N Sathiya Moorthy in Chennai

'Nakkeeran' Gopal may not oblige the Karnataka government if approached to negotiate the release of former Karnataka minister H Nagappa, who was kidnapped by Veerappan on Sunday night.

And the government has few other options.

Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P Nedumaran, who was instrumental in securing Kannada actor Dr Rajakumar's release when he was kidnapped by the forest brigand in 2000, is currently under detention in Tamil Nadu for his pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam remarks.

Nedumaran's aide and navigator in the negotiations, 'Kolathur' Mani was picked up soon after the All India Anna DMK came to power.

There is a feeling that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu rescinded on their promises made to Gopal and Nedumaran when their services were sought to secure Dr Rajakumar's freedom.

Gopal's journalist-aide Sivasubramanian was picked up by the Karnataka STF from his native Aathur village near Salem in Tamil Nadu a few months ago.

The Tamil Nadu government later obtained his custody through the courts.

Gopal was recently interrogated by the Tamil Nadu police for over 10 days.

"There may justification for the Tamil Nadu government to arrest Nedumaran given its pro-LTTE utterances, but the same cannot be said of 'Nakkeeran' Gopal and team. Even during Dr Rajakumar's abduction, Gopal was not keen on going into the jungles as the negotiator. He was pressured into accepting the assignment after Veerappan named him for the job, in an audio-cassette sent to a Tamil magazine journalist in Pondicherry," a source said.

He pointed out that the ruling All India Anna DMK in Tamil Nadu have also targeted Pattali Makkal Katchi founder Dr S Ramadoss. At the height of the Rajakumar abduction drama, Ramadoss had appealed to Veerappan at the instance of Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna. Ramadoss' name was also mentioned in connection with the receipt of the first audio-cassette of Veerappan.

Now the Karnataka government will have to count on medical practitioner and granite quarry-owner Dr Bhanumathy, who treated Veerappan and Rajkumar inside the jungles. Again, Bhanumathy was a friend of 'Kolathur' Mani, and depended on him for making contact with the brigand.

Tamil Nationalist Liberation Army leader Maran, who was with Veerappan during Dr Rajakumar's abduction drama, was nabbed soon eafter and has been in the custody of Tamil Nadu police since.

Likewise, Additional Director General of Tamil Nadu police, A X Alexander, who as the state intelligence chief had reportedly talked 'Nakkeeran' Gopal into accepting the assignment has been in the dog-house since. He is at present the official in-charge of the Sri Lankan refugees in coastal Mandapam village, with no staff and not even a decent office.

As sources point out, by going back on their commitments to Gopal and company that no action would be taken against them for negotiating with Veerappan, the two governments may have sent out wrong signals to other possible negotiators.

H Nagappa Abduction : Complete coverage

The Abduction of Dr Rajakumar
The Hunt for Veerappan

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