Carte blanche given to STF, state silent on emissary

On whether the government had found any credible emissary to negotiate with the brigand, Kharge, the only Cabinet member apart from Krishna, who can brief the press on the issue, said: ‘‘I can’t tell you.” He later left for Gulbarga in the evening on a three-day visit. Earlier, STF commander R.P. Sharma called on him to brief him about the situation.

In Chennai, Union Minister of State for Home C. Vidyasagar Rao said that the Centre was watching the developments in Karnataka and would dispatch forces soon after receiving such a request from the state. STF officials, meanwhile, are hopeful that he would release the JD(U) leader within the next four days to facilitate his own escape.