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Sadananda R in Chamarajanagar
Rumours of former minister Nagappa's release from forest brigand Veerappan's captivity kept Chamarajanagar buzzing through the day on Friday.
A report carried by a leading newspaper in Bangalore about the 'imminent release of Nagappa' only fuelled speculation about the leader's whereabouts.
The newspaper report claimed that an undisclosed sum had been paid to Verrappan as ransom and Nagappa was on his way back.
Veerappan has been silent for quite some days now. Though Nagappa's supporters have succeeded in establishing contact with the brigand, they have only been able to send some medicines to their ailing leader.
There are reports that Veerappan has demanded a ransom of Rs 100 million and the release of Tamil leader Kolluthur Mani from jail.
While Nagappa's supporters are willing to raise the ransom amount, Mani's release from jail is something they have no control over.
Nagappa's family, however, is neither commenting on the ransom demand nor is it willing to speculate on how soon the leader would return home.
"We don't know anything about [any] ransom demand or any attempts to contact the brigand," the abducted leader's wife Parimala Nagappa told rediff.com. "My husband's release from Veerappan's captivity is just a rumour as far as I know."
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