Bangalore: Hitting back hard, the Karnataka government on November 23 disdainfully
dismissed as "complete lies, fictitious and baseless" former director general of
police C Dinakar's charge that Rs 20 crore was paid as ransom to secure the release
of Kannada thespian Rajkumar from the clutches of forest brigand Veerappan.
"After hearing his allegations, we only are reminded of a remark made by former
Chief Minister, the late J H Patel, "that the gentleman (Dinakar) needs to be tested
by a psychiatrist", Information Minister Kagodu Thimappa told reporters after a
Cabinet meeting, where the allegations of the former DGP in his book were
discussed.
Asserting that all procedures followed in securing the release of Rajkumar
were "transparent", he said each step had the backing of all parties and the high-
level committee constituted to deal with the kidnap crisis then.
"We don't attach any importance," Thimappa said on the spate of allegations made by
Dinakar in his yet-to-be-released book 'Veerappan's Prize Catch: Rajkumar', which
has raised a controversy, with Opposition parties asking for a Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) probe and seeking resignation of Chief Minister S M
Krishna.
The former controversial DGP has claimed in his book that the ransom was paid in
instalments and named the persons through whom the alleged payment was
made.
Dinakar, who was the state police chief during the 108-day Rajkumar kidnap crisis,
has come out with the book two years after the abduction, claiming that he has given
a blow-by-blow account of the entire kidnap saga, which had thrown up a major crisis
for the Krishna government.
PTI
