The Karnataka government must be gratified that forest brigand Veerappan did not dictate who should be the state chief minister. Instead, he merely wanted jailed ‘LTTE sympathiser’ Kolathur T. S. Mani to be freed and made the emissary for securing the release of kidnapped former minister H. Nagappa, the bandit’s hostage for over three months. Since Veerappan had threatened to behead MrNagappa if Mani was not released before November 30, the government of S. M. Krishna readily capitulated.

Hardly surprising then that the government did not oppose the bail application of Mani, the charges against whom include supplying arms, ammunition, explosives and other material to Veerappan. With the Krishna government only too willing to utilise his services as a negotiator, little credence can be given to law and parliamentary affairs minister D. B. ChandreGowda’s assertion that the state had no intention of withdrawing the cases against Mani. Having secured conditional bail from one court, Mani, who was nabbed by the Special Task Force last March, is brimming with confidence. He has demanded dropping of the cases against him in exchange for functioning as an emissary.

Even as Karnataka prepares to revoke the charges against Mani, the Tamil Nadu government has said that he will be arrested the moment he steps into the state where he is wanted in five cases, including one relating to the kidnapping of matinee idol Rajkumar. However, the fact that Chennai is helpless should Bangalore send him as an emissary clearly shows that terrorists and criminals, far from being on the run, are being courted by governments.

This is not to suggest that Kolathur Mani should be condemned without a fair trial but to underscore that the Karnataka government, which framed the charges against him, now finds it expedient to drop the cases, making both actions highly suspect. In 2000, the Krishna government’s decision to release Veerappan’s associates detained under TADA in exchange for Rajkumar’s release was halted by the Supreme Court.In its criticism of the hostage-for-detenus deal, the apex court asked the Krishna administration to quit if it could not govern. If the import of the court’s observations made at that time can be disregarded with impunity now, obviously the administration’s fear of Veerappan is greater than its respect for the judiciary.

The Karnataka government must be gratified that forest brigand Veerappan did not dictate who should be the state chief minister. Instead, he merely wanted jailed ‘LTTE sympathiser’ Kolathur T. S. Mani to be freed and made the emissary for securing the release of kidnapped former minister H. Nagappa, the bandit’s hostage for over three months. Since Veerappan had threatened to behead MrNagappa if Mani was not released before November 30, the government of S. M. Krishna readily capitulated.

Hardly surprising then that the government did not oppose the bail application of Mani, the charges against whom include supplying arms, ammunition, explosives and other material to Veerappan. With the Krishna government only too willing to utilise his services as a negotiator, little credence can be given to law and parliamentary affairs minister D. B. ChandreGowda’s assertion that the state had no intention of withdrawing the cases against Mani. Having secured conditional bail from one court, Mani, who was nabbed by the Special Task Force last March, is brimming with confidence. He has demanded dropping of the cases against him in exchange for functioning as an emissary.

Even as Karnataka prepares to revoke the charges against Mani, the Tamil Nadu government has said that he will be arrested the moment he steps into the state where he is wanted in five cases, including one relating to the kidnapping of matinee idol Rajkumar. However, the fact that Chennai is helpless should Bangalore send him as an emissary clearly shows that terrorists and criminals, far from being on the run, are being courted by governments.

This is not to suggest that Kolathur Mani should be condemned without a fair trial but to underscore that the Karnataka government, which framed the charges against him, now finds it expedient to drop the cases, making both actions highly suspect. In 2000, the Krishna government’s decision to release Veerappan’s associates detained under TADA in exchange for Rajkumar’s release was halted by the Supreme Court.In its criticism of the hostage-for-detenus deal, the apex court asked the Krishna administration to quit if it could not govern. If the import of the court’s observations made at that time can be disregarded with impunity now, obviously the administration’s fear of Veerappan is greater than its respect for the judiciary.

The Karnataka government must be gratified that forest brigand Veerappan did not dictate who should be the state chief minister. Instead, he merely wanted jailed ‘LTTE sympathiser’ Kolathur T. S. Mani to be freed and made the emissary for securing the release of kidnapped former minister H. Nagappa, the bandit’s hostage for over three months. Since Veerappan had threatened to behead MrNagappa if Mani was not released before November 30, the government of S. M. Krishna readily capitulated.

Hardly surprising then that the government did not oppose the bail application of Mani, the charges against whom include supplying arms, ammunition, explosives and other material to Veerappan. With the Krishna government only too willing to utilise his services as a negotiator, little credence can be given to law and parliamentary affairs minister D. B. ChandreGowda’s assertion that the state had no intention of withdrawing the cases against Mani. Having secured conditional bail from one court, Mani, who was nabbed by the Special Task Force last March, is brimming with confidence. He has demanded dropping of the cases against him in exchange for functioning as an emissary.

Even as Karnataka prepares to revoke the charges against Mani, the Tamil Nadu government has said that he will be arrested the moment he steps into the state where he is wanted in five cases, including one relating to the kidnapping of matinee idol Rajkumar. However, the fact that Chennai is helpless should Bangalore send him as an emissary clearly shows that terrorists and criminals, far from being on the run, are being courted by governments.

This is not to suggest that Kolathur Mani should be condemned without a fair trial but to underscore that the Karnataka government, which framed the charges against him, now finds it expedient to drop the cases, making both actions highly suspect. In 2000, the Krishna government’s decision to release Veerappan’s associates detained under TADA in exchange for Rajkumar’s release was halted by the Supreme Court.In its criticism of the hostage-for-detenus deal, the apex court asked the Krishna administration to quit if it could not govern. If the import of the court’s observations made at that time can be disregarded with impunity now, obviously the administration’s fear of Veerappan is greater than its respect for the judiciary.

The Karnataka government must be gratified that forest brigand Veerappan did not dictate who should be the state chief minister. Instead, he merely wanted jailed ‘LTTE sympathiser’ Kolathur T. S. Mani to be freed and made the emissary for securing the release of kidnapped former minister H. Nagappa, the bandit’s hostage for over three months. Since Veerappan had threatened to behead MrNagappa if Mani was not released before November 30, the government of S. M. Krishna readily capitulated.

Hardly surprising then that the government did not oppose the bail application of Mani, the charges against whom include supplying arms, ammunition, explosives and other material to Veerappan. With the Krishna government only too willing to utilise his services as a negotiator, little credence can be given to law and parliamentary affairs minister D. B. ChandreGowda’s assertion that the state had no intention of withdrawing the cases against Mani. Having secured conditional bail from one court, Mani, who was nabbed by the Special Task Force last March, is brimming with confidence. He has demanded dropping of the cases against him in exchange for functioning as an emissary.

Even as Karnataka prepares to revoke the charges against Mani, the Tamil Nadu government has said that he will be arrested the moment he steps into the state where he is wanted in five cases, including one relating to the kidnapping of matinee idol Rajkumar. However, the fact that Chennai is helpless should Bangalore send him as an emissary clearly shows that terrorists and criminals, far from being on the run, are being courted by governments.

This is not to suggest that Kolathur Mani should be condemned without a fair trial but to underscore that the Karnataka government, which framed the charges against him, now finds it expedient to drop the cases, making both actions highly suspect. In 2000, the Krishna government’s decision to release Veerappan’s associates detained under TADA in exchange for Rajkumar’s release was halted by the Supreme Court.In its criticism of the hostage-for-detenus deal, the apex court asked the Krishna administration to quit if it could not govern. If the import of the court’s observations made at that time can be disregarded with impunity now, obviously the administration’s fear of Veerappan is greater than its respect for the judiciary.

The Karnataka government must be gratified that forest brigand Veerappan did not dictate who should be the state chief minister. Instead, he merely wanted jailed ‘LTTE sympathiser’ Kolathur T. S. Mani to be freed and made the emissary for securing the release of kidnapped former minister H. Nagappa, the bandit’s hostage for over three months. Since Veerappan had threatened to behead MrNagappa if Mani was not released before November 30, the government of S. M. Krishna readily capitulated.

Hardly surprising then that the government did not oppose the bail application of Mani, the charges against whom include supplying arms, ammunition, explosives and other material to Veerappan. With the Krishna government only too willing to utilise his services as a negotiator, little credence can be given to law and parliamentary affairs minister D. B. ChandreGowda’s assertion that the state had no intention of withdrawing the cases against Mani. Having secured conditional bail from one court, Mani, who was nabbed by the Special Task Force last March, is brimming with confidence. He has demanded dropping of the cases against him in exchange for functioning as an emissary.

Even as Karnataka prepares to revoke the charges against Mani, the Tamil Nadu government has said that he will be arrested the moment he steps into the state where he is wanted in five cases, including one relating to the kidnapping of matinee idol Rajkumar. However, the fact that Chennai is helpless should Bangalore send him as an emissary clearly shows that terrorists and criminals, far from being on the run, are being courted by governments.

This is not to suggest that Kolathur Mani should be condemned without a fair trial but to underscore that the Karnataka government, which framed the charges against him, now finds it expedient to drop the cases, making both actions highly suspect. In 2000, the Krishna government’s decision to release Veerappan’s associates detained under TADA in exchange for Rajkumar’s release was halted by the Supreme Court.In its criticism of the hostage-for-detenus deal, the apex court asked the Krishna administration to quit if it could not govern. If the import of the court’s observations made at that time can be disregarded with impunity now, obviously the administration’s fear of Veerappan is greater than its respect for the judiciary.