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RAJKUMAR'S RELEASE: MYSTERY DEEPENS

Rajkumar's statements on the role played by Dr Bhanu have been curiously inconsistent

It's been two weeks since Rajkumar reached home. But baffling questions about how and why he was released linger.

One of the first repercussions of the film star's release is a sense of embarrassment for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The fact that P. Nedumaran, a known ltte sympathiser who went as the official emissary and negotiated the release, spoke volumes. Nedumaran is said to have worked out the release after assuring Veerappan that he would be allowed a safe getaway and that the state Government would pursue his demand for the release of 51 TADA detenues from the Mysore Jail in a democratic manner. Though Karunanidhi denies this and has made efforts to distance himself from Nedumaran, critics are quick to point out that Tamil Nadu took five days to activate the STF after Rajkumar's release, thereby giving ample time for Veerappan to escape.

The other curious part of the episode is the role of Dr Bhanu, a quarry owner. While Rajkumar initially credited her with letting Veerappan believe he was ill, he retracted his statement later. Intelligence sources now believe that besides the Tamil fringe groups, mafia politics too played a part. One of the theories is that Rajkumar's family had run into debts with some quarry owners and Veerappan may have helped them get their money back. Dr Bhanu may have been persuaded to step in because a business partner is close to former chief minister S. Bangarappa, who in turn is related to Rajkumar. The ransom paid, intelligence sources say, was around Rs 3 crore-but largely in gold, not cash. Dr Bhanu, meanwhile, has gone underground.

-Vaasanthi

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