Deadline for Veerappan's surrender advanced
The Tamil Nadu and
Karnataka governments, responding to forest brigand Veerappan's desire to surrender, have asked the outlaw to give himself up before October 31.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his Karnataka
counterpart J H Patel made the proposal jointly after listening to Veerappan's taped message.
The outlaw, who released the six hostages in his custody on October 21, had sent an audio
cassette through them, expressing his desire to surrender and serve
a jail term.
The fugitive could let the governments know the exact date and
place of his surrender through another cassette, the chief ministers said.
Talking to newsmen later, Karunanidhi said the eight point package of concessions offered by
the two governments in August would form the basis for
the surrender and that it would take place in public in
Patel and his presence.
He was confident the brigand would surrender if no attempts were made to scuttle the move. More abductions, he warned, would result if that happened.
There has been a marked change in Veerappan's attitude this time --
he had expressed a willingness to undergo a
jail term if the authorities
assured him on All India Radio that
his interests would be protected.
Karunanidhi said a special jail camp for
Veerappan would be readied the moment the brigand disclosed
the date of his surrender.
EARLIER REPORT:
Karnataka sets deadline for Veerappan's surrender
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