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Krishna paid Rs 200 million to Veerappan for Rajakumar's release: Former top cop

Fakir Chand in Bangalore

Former director general of Karnataka police C Dinakar has claimed that Chief Minister S M Krishna paid a ransom of Rs 20 crore [Rs 200 million] to forest brigand Veerappan to secure the release of matinee idol Rajakumar in the year 2000.

The disclosure about the ransom and a blow-by-blow account of the sordid abduction drama has been chronicled in his book titled Veerappan's Prize Catch: Rajkumar.

The book is published by the Delhi-based Konark publications and is priced at Rs 400.

Confirming the contents in the 320-page hardbound book that is divided into 42 chapters, including an epilogue, Dinakar told rediff.com in Bangalore on Friday that he stood by every word contained in the book and was prepared to face any consequence or repercussion thereof.

"Answers for all your questions are in the book. Buy it from my office and read it for yourself. If you still have any question left, you can ask me later," Dinakar shot back when asked what material evidence he had to substantiate the charges made in the book.

Though whispers have been circulating about the ransom paid to free Rajakumar, neither the state government nor the superstar have confirmed or denied it.

Even Dinakar, who retired in February 2001, remained mum while he was still in service, though he had a first-hand account of what was going on among the key players in the abduction drama.

According to Dinakar, the state government itself arranged the ransom, with the full knowledge of its chief minister, state Home Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge, senior officials, and top police officers.

"What's more, Krishna even spoke to Veerappan on mobile twice when Rajakumar was being released in the second week of November 2000. The bandit used the mobile set of R Ramakumar, one of the mediators and son of former state DGP R Ramalingam.

He said Krishna was able to contact Veerappan on the mobile when the latter came out of the forest range while releasing Rajakumar and was near Erode in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking in Tamil, the brigand told Krishna that he had released them all [avangale vittuttengo] referring to Rajakumar and his two companions, Dinakar recalls in his tell-all book on the 108-day abduction drama.

Giving a break up of the ransom amount paid and through whom all it was sent, Dinakar mentions in the book that the first instalment of Rs 10 crore [Rs 100 million] was sent to Veerappan through Krishna's son-in-law V G Siddhartha on two occasions. That was followed by another Rs 5 crore [Rs 50 million] through the then DIG and present IGP (Intelligence) T Jayaprakash.

Another Rs 1 crore [Rs 10 million] was sent by Rajakumar's wife Parvathamma to Chennai and delivered at then Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi's house.

Subsequently, an additional Rs 2 crore [Rs 20 million] was handed over personally by Parvathamma to Dr Banu, an unofficial emissary at her house in Bangalore. The last or final instalment of Rs 2 crore [Rs 20 million] was raised by the Kannada film industry and handed over to Karunanidhi in Chennai.

Dinakar also mentions that another Rs 2.2 million [Rs 22 lakh], sanctioned by the state government for the release of associates of the forest brigand detained under TADA, was not utilised as they could not be set free from the Mysore jail due to the intervention of the Supreme Court, which rejected their anticipatory bail applications.

The book also claims that Veerappan complained to Banu on how Nakeeran editor R Gopal, who went into the forest thrice in August-September 2000 as the first emissary of both the state governments, had cheated him by misappropriating about Rs 5 million (Rs 50 lakh).

"As a result, Veerappan did not allow Gopal to accompany Tamil activist P Nedumaran and other mediators/emissaries to meet him in his lair for the fourth time, when Rajakumar was finally released."

Asked whether the book would invite the wrath of the state government for violating the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, Dinakar retorted: "Is paying ransom to a brigand an official secret?"

The book quotes extensively from official communications and records about specific conversations among senior police officials, ministers and opposition leaders.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government debunked Dinakar's claims.

"I think it is relatively easy for people to come up with this kind of a thing. But if you keep chipping away at institutions in this fashion, there will be an overall damage to all important institutions in the system," Karnataka Information Minister B K Chandrashekhar said. "It will be very difficult to recover from that damage."

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

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