Rajkumar pleads for brigand’s demands to be fulfilled

The text of the message goes like this:

"My dear fans, friends and relatives. I am aware of the turbulent moments that have gripped both states following an accidental incident involving Veerappan.

Having heard about those incidents over All India Radio, to which I have been constantly glued since yesterday, I thought it is wise to respond to the situation, lest it should escalate tension.

The incident was an accident for me too. When I was relaxing with my family members after dinner on July 30 night, all of a sudden about six to eight persons entered my house at Gajanur and I was surprised to see them there. Immediately, Veerappan surfaced from the group and asked for Rajkumar.

I immediately answered, `Yes, I am Rajkumar.’

Veerappan asked me to follow him and I just obliged, pacifying my family members including my wife, told them not to panic and that I would return soon.

The environment in which I am staying with Veerappan and his associates has unfolded a new experience for me.

I think I needed this in my life. There is no noise here. Veerappan and we (Rajkumar and three others) have turned such good friends that there is a sense of brotherhood among ourselves.

None of us have any fear over being in Veerappan’s captives. We will return soon.

Veerappan has provided all facilities to us and we are being looked after very well.

I am appealing to my fans not to contribute to any problems and not to harm anyone, including Tamil speaking people, by keeping the incident in mind.

During these two days in Veerappan’s company, we have exchanged several thoughts and understood each other better. Both of us have become brothers.

Veerappan has a demand. He wants to live like a normal citizen and wants the governments to facilitate this. Why not give him a chance?

He also has something else in his mind. He has a demand. Fulfill that at the earliest. Try to find out his other demands. He also has certain desires and aspirations. Meet his demands at the earliest.

I want to be free as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, at Salem, Veerappan’s wife has pleaded for general amnesty to him. Tired of the constant struggle that goes hand-in-hand with the sandalwood smuggler’s partner, 29-year-old Muthulakshmi, who has been living away from Veerappan for more than a decade, said on Thursday, "We can start a new life together if he is given general amnesty."

Talking to this correspondent at her rented house in nearby Mettur, Muthulakshmi narrated in detail her marriage, the brief period she had lived with Veerappan and the suffering she and her daughter had been undergoing due to media publicity.

Being his wife cost her job and created problems for her 10-year-old daughter Vidyarani in the school, she said.

Muthulakshmi said she managed to get a job in a textile mill in Coimbatore and admit her daughter in a boarding school at Mettur with the help of DSP Ashok Kumar some months back.

But, Vidyarani, a third standard student in St Mary’s Montesory School, was recently asked to vacate the hostel, only because she is Veerappan’s daughter.

Muthulakshmi said she and her daughter had recently met TMC leader G K Moopanar and PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss seeking financial help. But, media reports led to her daughter being thrown out of the hostel.

However, the school authorites have re-admitted Vidyarani in the hostel after IGP Jaganathan, Salem, intervened. At his initiative, a local company has agreed to pay for the hostel charges.