Veerappan associates remanded to judicial custody

They were later taken to the Chennai Central Prison. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel today held an hour-long meeting with the top brass of the state police following their surrender.

Talking to newsmen, Patel said he was waiting for a word from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who had received a video cassette from Veerappan so that his government could decide on the future course ofaction.

Karunanidhi today viewed the cassette sent to him by Veerappan through Netrikan Tamil magazine editor A S Mani, in which he has reportedly made a fresh offer to surrender.

According to top police officials, the elusive bandit has stated in the video cassette that he would surrender within a stipulated time. However, the police officials were apprehensive of the deadline given by the poacher in view of their past experience with him.

Director General of police F C Sharma, additional DGP S Kumarasamy and city Police Commissioner P Kalimuthu, who is also the joint commandant of the special task force formed to nab Veerappan, were among the others who viewed the cassette at the secretariat here. However, details regarding Veerappan’s offer of surrender and fresh conditions or demands, if any, put forth by the elusive bandit were not immediately known.

The three Veerappan gang members who were brought to the city from the forests by Mani, were not members of the brigand’s core group, but had beeninvolved in the kidnapping of some Karnataka forest personnel by the gang last year, according to police.

Mani is the second Tamil magazine editor to meet the dreaded Veerappan, after Nakeeran editor R R Gopal who had earlier secured the release of the Karnataka forest personnel.