CHENNAI, Aug 6: Sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, in a hardened stand conveyed to the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Chief Ministers on Wednesday has stuck to his demand for grant of general amnesty to him and his associates, and has fixed a new deadline of 10 days from August 5, failing which he would carry out his threat of killing eight hostages.Government emissary R R Gopal told The Indian Express on Wednesday that Veerappan, with whom he spent a couple of days in the forests on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border in an effort to secure the release of the Karnataka forest staff, was not interested in the proposals of the two governments on grant of security to him, transfer of cases to Tamil Nadu and trial in this State, and lodging him outside a regular jail in a secure place. He could secure the release of one hostage, guard Raju.Gopal says he was shocked on entering the latest hide-out of Veerappan. ``I was dumb-struck when I saw the hostages chained, and standing in a row, while Veerappan's men stood guard with their guns''. On seeing him, the hostages wept uncontrollably. On his request, Veerappan allowed the chains to be removed in some cases, but Veerappan's aides only loosened the chains in some other cases.
