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SC raps Karnataka govt on Rajakumar issue

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

The Supreme Court Wednesday evening postponed to Tuesday hearing on the release of 51 TADA detenues to meet the demands of forest brigand Veerappan, who is holding Kannada superstar Dr Rajakumar in his custody.

The court decided to continue hearing the case on Tuesday, after holding a day-long hearing in the special leave petition filed by Abdul Kareem, former deputy superintendent of police and father of Sub-Inspector Shakeel Ahmed, who was killed by Veerappan in 1992.

The Supreme Court had last month restrained the sessions court, Mysore, from releasing 51 detained associates of the sandalwood smuggler. Kareem moved the Supreme Court after the designated TADA Court on August 17 dismissed his petition challenging the release of the detenues.

The court started the hearing in the morning after all respondents and complainants filed their pleadings. Karim's advocate, Badri Nath Babu, started the pleadings in the morning.

In the afternoon the court heard Advocate B L Wadhera and Advocate Adarsh Ganesh after they moved in as "party in-person."

Three-member bench headed by Justice S P Barucha, and comprising Justice Y K Sabbarwal and Justice D P Mahapatra, heard the case today.

Harish Salve represented the Karnataka state government, along with A Jayaraman, the advocate general of the state.

The court asked in raised voice if the learned judge in Mysore was told that the state government was releasing the TADA detenues to appease Veerappan. "Application was made on various kinds, but it was not conveyed to the judge that this application was being made to please Veerappan," the bench observed.

Justice Barucha repeatedly asked Advocate Salve to clarify if the state told the Mysore court that the Veerappan demand was behind the move to allow the TADA detenues to go free. When the bench was informed that the public prosecutor in Mysore was told about the intentions behind the move, the bench insisted that the communication be shown to the bench.

Abdul Karim's advocate told the court that the charges in the TADA cases were framed in 1997 and on July 30 this year the case had its last hearing. But on August 10, the Karnataka state government moved the application to dismiss the cases.

"Till that stage nobody had thought of anything," the judges remarked.

On the state government's claim that there were no terrorist activities in the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, the judges remarked: "He doesn't seem to read newspapers."

It was one of the reasons given by the state government for demanding the release of the TADA detenues.

Harish Salve told the court that there were a total of 166 accused in two cases. Of them 127 were arrested, and 73 are out on bail. Three of the accused died in judicial custody, while the present case is relating to the 51 who are in custody.

During the hearing. Justice Sabarwal asked if Veerappan has demanded that after they are released they be send to jungle.

The Rajakumar Abduction: complete coverage
The saga of Veerappan

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