Erode: The additional sessions court in Gobichettipalayam in Tamil Nadu acquitted nine aides of the slain forest brigand Veerappan on Tuesday in the case of abduction of Kannada actor Rajkumar. The Kannada matinee star Rajkumar was kidnapped in the year 2000 by Veerappan along with his associates when the actor was staying at his farmhouse in Thoddagajanur near Thalavadi. He was released after 108 days of captivity. The Thalavadi police booked cases against 14 persons, including Veerappan and his accomplices. The trial was being conducted at the third additional sessions court at Gobichettipalayam for the past 18 years.
Police submitted a charge sheet against the accused in the year 2007 under various sections of IPC. As many as 47 witnesses testified in court in connection with the incident. However, the accused Veerappan, Sethukuli Govindan and Chandra-gowda, were killed in a police encounter in 2004. One more accused, Kal-mani Mallu, had also passed away due to illness last year. Another accused, Ramesh, who is absconding has not been traced so far. Meanwhile, actor Rajkumar and his wife Parvathammal also passed away due to illness.
Meanwhile, actor Rajkumar and his wife Parvathammal also passed away due to illness. The remaining nine accused — Govindaraj (46), Andril (45), Pasuvanna (57), Puttusamy (53), Kalmandiraman (52), Maran (48), Selvam (43), Amirthalingam (44) and Nagaraj (47) — have been appearing regularly before the court in the case. As many as 10 judges have heard this case over the years and the judgment was reserved on September 17 by judge Mani. He had ordered all the accused to appear before the court on September 25.
