Bangalore: Forest brigand Veerappan has sent the sixth audio cassette to the family
of Janata Dal – United (JD-U) leader H Nagappa whom he is holding hostage for the
last 106 days, the former minister's son-in-law Kiran Patel said.
The cassette was found at the farm residence of Nagappa at Kamageri in
Chamarajanagar district, Patel said. The content of the cassette was however not
known, Patel said adding it was being brought to Bangalore from Kamagere.
Patel said the Nagappa family would meet Home Minister Mallikarjun Kharge after they
receive the cassette later in the day.
Official sources said the cassette would be heard by Kharge and top police officials
here later in the day after receiving the tape.
In the fifth cassette, Veerappan had set a 12-day deadline to the government to send
jailed Tamil activist Kolathur Mani as emissary and threatened to kill the hostage
if his demand was not met.
The deadline had expired on November 30, but Kharge had said that the government was
of the opinion that the bandit had responded to appeals made by Agro Processing
Minister Raju Gowda and Kollegal JD(U) leader P Mahadevaswamy for extending the
deadline.
Mani has secured bail in three cases from the Karnataka High Court but is yet to get
a similar relief in two others from a Mysore court where he moved the bail
applications on December 7. The court has posted the case for orders on December 9.
In a new twist to the hostage crisis, Mani had said early this week that he had not
yet made up his mind on undertaking a mediatory mission and that he had not received
any "official message" from the government.
But, Kharge has said that the government would ask Mani to go on the mediatory
mission after he secures bail in all the cases.
PTI
