Karnataka to let go of Mani but ‘won’t pay ransom’

Bowing to forest brigand Veerappan’s demand to send Tamil nationalist activist Kolathur Mani to act as an emissary to secure the release of JD(U) leader Nagappa, the Karnataka government today declared that it would withdraw various cases registered against Mani but denied plans to pay any ransom.

Law and parliamentary affairs minister D.B. Chandre Gowda said cases pertaining to Mani, currently incarcerated in Bellary jail, were coming up in courts in Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts over the next two days and a petition for withdrawal of cases were likely to be made.

Home minister Mallikarjuna Kharge told newsmen separately that the public prosecutors would move the court seeking withdrawal of cases against Mani who had been arrested by the police for allegedly supplying arms to the brigand.

Meanwhile, in an intensified battle of wits, state security adviser T. Srinivasulu today threatened to sue former DGP C. Dinakar for making ‘‘defamatory’’ charges against him in the latter’s controversial book which claimed that ransom was paid to secure the release of Rajkumar.