CHENNAI, Aug 8: The fear on his face is still very clearly visible, when reminded of the 25 harrowing days of captivity in the forest by sandalwood smuggler Veerappan and his men. At the same time he voices his concern about his eight other colleagues still held hostage.

Raju, the Karnataka forest watcher, who was released by Veerappan, shivers as he remembers those days, from his hospital bed at Chennai, under the strict vigil of doctors. He is still recovering from the shock.

``We were never sure of seeing the sun again whenever we went to sleep. For me, this is a rebirth,'' says Raju, who is sure that Veerappan will kill the remaining hostages if the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Governments failed to meet his demand for general amnesty or give Rs 5 crore.

Raju and eight other forest officials had gone to the forest on July 11, to repair a wooden bridge which had collapsed following heavy rains. ``We had planned to stay in the forest guest house for a few days, finish the work and then return. But as we were moving, we noticed an uprooted tree lying across the road. We got down from our van and were removing the tree when some armed men surrounded us from all sides. They had already captured Basavaraj, the driver, who was near the van and warned us against trying to flee. They threatened to shoot us if we tried to run.''

``I did not know it was Veerappan and was under the impression that it was a gang of timber smugglers. `Do you recognise me ? Have you not seen my picture in newspapers? I am Veerappan', the brigand shouted. They tied my hands and blindfolded me. I do not remember what happened after that'', Raju blurts out haltingly.

The only other thing Raju remembers after the first day is that the gang members never kept them at one place. ``During the day we were made to stay in a group under some cover. We were kept alive on gruel. But, around evening every day, the gang made us walk few kilometers. We were forced to walk till day break, when we were allowed to rest'', he says.

He says he cannot identify the forests or the ranges through which the brigand forced them to trek. ``My life was important for me and each day, by dawn, we were blindfolded and huddled in a small group, for our share of the gruel. When we were asked to sit and rest, the gang spread out and covered us from all directions'', Raju says.

The arrival Gopal as the government emissary for negotiations was the first sign of hope for the hostages. Raju, who hails from Kannur in Kollegal, Karnataka, has four children. He says he had lost all hopes of seeing his family again. ``When Gopal came and informed us about the decision of the Governments of the two States to negotiate with the brigand for their lives, it was like a god sent message. I was very weak by then as I had suffered an insect bite on the back of the neck and I was running a temperature.''

The gang was unmindful of Raju's failing health and forced him to trek long distances. ``They threatened to shoot me if I did not follow their orders, leaving me with little choice'', he explains. However, Raju is more scared of Veerappan's anger on July 27. ``As soon as he was informed that Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had rejected his plea for general amnesty, he went livid with anger. He dragged two people from our group to some distance, saying that he will behead them and send their heads as trophies to the respective Chief Ministers. Fortunately, Sethukuli Govindan (a long-time aide of Veerappan) arrived on the scene in timeand convinced him to wait for some more days, for Gopal to return for the talk. It was a very close brush with death'', he sobs. He recalls how Veerappan nearly killed one of the hostages when Gopal delayed establishing contact with him for the second round of talks.

``Fortunately for us, he managed to establish contact with Gopal and they met on August 2. If this had not happened, one of us would have fallen to his guns'', he recounts.

Karnataka Govt rules out ransom for forest brigand

Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel, today declared that forest brigand Veerappan's demand for Rs 5 crore as ransom for the release of the eight hostages held by him was not acceptable to the state.

Talking to reporters here, Patel said there was no change in the stand of the state that the fugitive should release the hostages at the earliest.

The Chief Minister said he was deputing two of his ministerial colleagues, forest minister Gurupadappa Nagamarpally and law minister M C Nanaiah to Chennai tomorrow to hold talks with the Tamil Nadu Government on Veerappan and hostage release issues. When asked whether the government apprehended any danger to the lives of its eight forest department men, abducted by the gang on July 12, in the wake of the government's refusal to consider the demand for ransom, Patel said he did not think that the brigand would take to the extreme step.

He declined to divulge the future course of action the government had planned on the issue.

Patel and Nagamarpally today viewed the video cassette sent by Veerappan through thegovernment emissary and Nakeeran editor, R R Gopal. The Chief Minister said that he would also talk to his Tamil Nadu counterpart, M Karunanidhi, later today.

Yesterday the Karnataka Government deployed the home commissioner, N A Muthanna and DGP T Srinivasalu to Chennai for discussions with Tamil Nadu Government to find an early solution to the hostage crisis.

The two top officials are expected to return to the city this afternoon and brief the Chief Minister on the outcome of their talks.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.