Zeenext Bureau
Mysore/Bangalore, Aug 28: The Karnataka government has decided to drop all the charges, including those under the Indian Penal Code, against 51 persons said to be aides of Veerappan, besides the 70 who have already been released on bail.
Earlier, 51 persons, lodged in Mysore jail for over seven years, were granted bail on by District and Sessions Judge Rajendra Prasad.
The judgment drew a curtain on the high-drama whipped up in the process of examining legalities concerning the case in the past two weeks.
The judge overruled the submission of Abdul Kareem, father of slain police officer Shakeel Ahmed, that his special leave petition in the Supreme court had been admitted and would come up for hearing on Tuesday (Aug 29), on the grounds that there was no direction from the apex court to stay the proceedings in the sessions court. Judge Rajendra Prasad, in his order, said each of the accused may be released on furnishing a bond for Rs 10,000 with a likewise solvent surety or in the event of this requirement not being able to be met, a cash surety of Rs 20,000.
He further said the accused should cooperate with the prosecution and not make any attempt to tamper with evidence in any manner, while out on bail.
The accused were also instructed not to involve themselves in any other crime.
This judgment was eagerly awaited by the Karnataka government as the release of all the TADA detainees from Mysore jail was one of the important demands put forward by the brigand for releasing famed actor Rajkumar, being held captive since July 30.
Present in the court was almost the entire Mysore police top brass, including Commissioner Chandrashekar, Deputy Commissioner Shiva Prasad and
Inspector-General Srivastava.
Defence counsel Venugopal said arrangements were being made to get the surety amounts on behalf of those accused who had no recourse to organising the money themselves. Members of the Kannada film industry, including producer “Rock Line” Venkatesh and actors Vishnuvardhan, Ambarish and Sunder Raj were seen in the court complex closely following the developments.
Umesh and Ramakrishnan, counsel for Abdul Kareem, said they were hopeful of the Supreme Court coming to their aid by what they termed as “the due upholding of the process of law and the dispensation of justice”.
SC admits plea: The Supreme Court on Monday admitted the special leave petition of Abdul Kareem.
A three-member bench, comprising S.C. Bharucha, S.M.S.S. Quadri and Santosh Hegde, will hear the case on Tuesday.
