Slain cop’s father vows to oppose Mani release in high court

Abdul Kareem, a former Karnataka police official whose son was shot dead by the Veerappan gang, today said he would move the high court challenging the state government’s move to withdraw cases against Tamil activist Kollathur Mani to send him as an emissary to negotiate the release of Nagappa.

Kareem, a former Deputy Superintendent of Police, termed the government’s move as ‘‘preposterous’’, adding, the Supreme Court had come down heavily on the state government when it decided to release TADA detenues in exchange for the release of filmstar Rajkumar.

When Veerappan’s gang killed his son Shakeel Ahmed, a police inspector, Kareem had then filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the government’s decision.

He said yesterday’s Cabinet decision on withdrawal of cases against Mani was in ‘‘utter disregard’’ of the Supreme Court guidelines as enunciated in respect of the TADA detenues.