Bangalore: With barely a day left to meet the eight-day deadline set by forest bandit Veerappan to send two emissaries of his choice to negotiate the release of kidnapped Janata Dal – United (JD-U) leader H Nagappa, the Karnataka government was yet to decide on the bandit's demand, official sources said.

Veerappan, who sent an audio cassette, the third in the Nagappa kidnap episode, on October 13, had demanded that jailed Tamil activist Kolathur Mani and a local JD-U leader Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy be sent as emissaries within eight days, failing which he had warned that he would harm the hostage.

The government had declared that it had no objection to sending Mahadevaswamy, if he was willing to go. The bandit accepted him alone as emissary, as there were legal impediments in deputing Mani.

Mani is now in jail at Bellary in Karnataka, facing five cases, including one under Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA).

The Karnataka High Court, before which the bail applications of Mani came up for hearing last week, has adjourned the matter to next week, a development that came as a setback to efforts to secure the release of Nagappa, who has been in the clutches of the outlaw for the last 50 days.

Meanwhile, official sources, declining to be named, said police were yet to establish contact with Mahadevaswamy to ascertain whether he could venture into forests alone and begin negotiations with Veerappan.

They could not say if Mahadevaswamy had remained incommunicado after the bandit sought him as an emissary.

Earlier, Mahadevaswamy had stated that he was prepared to accompany Mani.

PTI