Talks for Rajkumar's release at final stage

Talks for Rajkumar's release at final stage
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Chennai, Oct 15: Hopes of an early end to the two-and-half-month Rajkumar hostage crisis soared today with a key negotiator in talks with forest brigand Veerappan and Karnataka Government asserting that the parleys were "fruitful" and indicating an early release of the Kannada filmstar.

"Negotiations between official emissaries and Veerappan for the release of Rajkumar were going on smoothly," Tamil National Movement (TNM) leader P Nedumaran, one of the emissaries, conveyed this to his party office here, TNM general secretary K Paranthaman said in a press release.

Positive information about the release of Rajkumar could be expected tonight, he added.

Nedumaran accompanied editor of Tamil magazine Nakkheeran R R Gopal and human rights activists B Kalyani and G Sukumar to the fifth mission to secure the release of Rajkumar and others who were abducted by the outlaw on July 30.

Karnataka Home Minister Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters in Bangalore that talks between the official emissaries and Veerappan were "fruitful" and Rajkumar would be a free man "as early as possible."

"We have information that talks are fruitful and useful, and Rajkumar will be released as early as possible", Kharge told PTI.

However, he said, there is no information on when exactly the Kannada actor would be released.

The hopes of early release of Rajkumar were shared by Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna also. "I am hopeful and optimistic", he told reporters here when asked if he believed the release is imminent.