`Lone Ranger’ Karim flooded by congratulations

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Jameel Ahmed, Karim’s son and a Political Science lecturer, said the court’s order was a rap on the state government for bowing to the forest brigand.

Karim and his family members, who were lapping up the details of the proceedings in the Apex Court from Jameel, are confident that ultimately the law of the land will prevail. Jameel was present when the court heard his father’s petition.

He said that initially there were hindrances as people tried to discourage Karim from approaching the court. Some even tried to scuttle the plans, he said. Jameel said that Karim’s urge to take up the case for the state’s cause and to ensure that his son’s sacrifice wasn’t wasted convinced him that he should go ahead. Karim wanted to personally attend the proceedings even at his advanced age.

Karim’s objections on the withdrawal of TADA by the prosecution had earlier been overruled by the Special Court in Mysore stating that he had no locus standi. The Supreme Court on Friday, however, stayed indefinitely the release of Veerappan’s associates.

“When the state government claimed maintenance of law and order in the state as the reason for dropping the TADA charges against the detainees, the court demanded an unconditional assurance from the government about maintenance of law and order,” Karim said. He said he “won’t rest until Veerappan and his associates are sent to the gallows”.

According to UNI, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said today that the Supreme Court stay on the release of prisoners by Karnataka holds equally good in the release of five extremists by Tamil Nadu and that the state would initiate necessary legal steps before the apex court to secure their release.

Emissary R.R. Gopal would explain this position to Veerappan with whom he was holding negotiations in the forest to secure the release of Rajkumar and three others held hostage since July 30.

Karunanidhi said the Apex Court had sent a notice to the state government after admitting two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by Delhi-based advocates Adarsh Ganesan and Vadhera on August 22 and 24 respectively against the release of the five extremists.

He said the Karnataka government was moving the Supreme court for an early hearing of the PIL filed and that the Tamil Nadu government would take further steps in tune with Karnataka’s action.

The release of TADA prisoners languishing in Karnataka jails and five extremists in Tamil Nadu are the key demands of Veerappan.