West Bengal has a new worry, it's about Veerappan's next move

West Bengal has a new worry, it's about Veerappan's next move
SUBRATA NAGCHOUDHURY

CALCUTTA, NOVEMBER 22: Veerappan, it seems, is getting ready for a sequel and this time it's West Bengal, not Karnataka or Tamil Nadu, which is worried.

Why distant Bengal? After the credits rolled up and the curtain fell on the Rajkumar hostage drama, film star Mithun Chakravarty fears he could be the next target and has sought help from his home state.

West Bengal has reacted promptly, contacted the Centre and has written back to Mithun assuring him help. And security -- if the star, who runs a tourist resort not very far from the bandit's area of operation, stays in West Bengal.

In a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya yesterday, Chakravarty expressed his concern over the threat. The government apprised the Centre of the threat.

``I am anxious about it. The state government is ready to extend extensive security cover to the matinee idol, if he agrees to stay in the state,'' Bhattacharya told reporters.

A Bengal government official said that the film star who is also in hotel business in Ooty and Coimbatore wrote to Bhattacharya after a Tamil newspaper reported the threat on Tuesday. Mithun himself was contacted by the Tamil Nadu police and warned about the threat.

Chakravarty could not be contacted as he was away shooting. His hotel staff in Ooty said he was in Coimbatore. Contacted in Coimbatore over the telephone, his wife Yogita Bali said: ``I am just praying to God that nothing should happen. Mithun is off for shooting. But he has gone with security.''

Asked about the threat, Bali said that the SP of Nilgiri called up on Monday to tell that Mithun should not go to Ooty for the time being as the forest brigand is planning to kidnap him. ``We have moved to Coimbatore and are staying here now. I have asked Mithun not to take any risk,'' added Bali.

Sources close to Chakravarty in Calcutta said that the threat had reached the star sometime in August, well before the Rajkumar episode. In a couple of functions in Calcutta in August-September this year, where Mithun had performed, he was seen moving with about half a dozen armed commandos, hired by him. ``This was very unusual,'' said one of his aides. Chakravarty, who was to visit Calcutta on November 19, failed to turn up and cancelled all his scheduled programmes.

``It's double trouble for Mithun,'' said Suman Gupta, a Calcutta journalist who has authored a book on him. Over the years, Chakravarty has distanced himself from Bollywood, mainly because of the threat to Bollywood stars from Dawood Ibrahim gang. For shooting new films (he has signed contracts for three new films as hero) he has avoided Bollywood. ``His peaceful abode of Ooty and Coimbatore is also under a cloud,'' said Gupta.

Chakravarti ventured into hospitality business and set up a hotel and a hotel management institute in Ooty, a forest resort and safari park at Masanguri in Mudumalai and a posh hotel in Coimbatore. This resort falls within the operational area of the forest brigand.

In Calcutta, Chakravarty has been editing a newspaper Khoborer Kajog and has bought a five-hour slot in the ATN World channel for features, documentaries and serials.

Narayan Ghosh, deputy commissioner (headquarters) of Calcutta police, said that they are yet to receive any written directive from the state government but in view of the reported threat special security cover would certainly be arranged for him when he comes to Calcutta.