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Send Mani as emissary to Veerappan, demands JD-U

C Byre Gowda, president of the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal, United, has demanded that the state government send jailed pan-Tamil activist 'Kolathur' Mani as its emissary to negotiate the release of abducted JD-U politician and former minister H Nagappa from the custody of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.

Byre Gowda accused the state government led by S M Krishna of neglecting the Nagappa case. The same government, he pointed out, had taken far more interest in getting Kannada film star Rajakumar released from Veerappan's clutches.

"All these days we were silent in the hope that the government was doing something," he told reporters in Bangalore. "But now let me tell them through you that 30 days are over. You should not test our patience."

Byre Gowda, who shot into prominence in the early 1980s with his exposure of the Veerappa Moily tapes scandal, said, "I know 'Kolathur' Mani is a criminal. But in this situation we have no alternative. We have to send him as Veerappan has asked for him. To us Nagappa's life is important."

The JD-U leader called on the government to withdraw all cases against Mani and release him so that he could take up the role of emissary. Police sources said those supporters of Nagappa who had established contact with the brigand had received a clear message from him that it had to be Mani, none else.

If the government agrees to send Mani as emissary, it will have to file a no-objection note in the high court, which is likely to take up his bail application soon.

The Nagappa Abduction: complete coverage
The Rajakumar Abduction: complete coverage
The saga of Veerappan

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