Daijiworld Media Network – Chennai (EP)

Chennai, Sep 26: A court in Gobichettipalayam, Erode has acquitted due to lack of evidence after 18 years, nine men accused of involvement in abduction of famous Kannada actor Rajkumar.

Shivakumar, counsel for Tamil fortnightly magazine Nakkeeran said that police have indulged in atrocities in forests and against tribal people including mental trauma and physical abuse. People are relieved with the acquittal following failure of the prosecution to prove the charges. He added that AIADMK in power then had used the case against its critics as a weapon.

"The police had initially registered case against Veerappan and his four accomplices but AIADMK used it for political scores by adding Gopal of Nakkeeran, three more reporters and several others including tamil extremists."

Nakkeeran Gopal and three more suspects were removed from the charge sheet filed on September 25 for want of proof.

K Amrithalingam, one of the accused spoke to the DC of the mental agony that they had gone through when officials from Police department, intelligence and CID physically and mentally tortured and threatened of serious consequences if they did not cooperate and confessed.

Another accused who opted to remain anonymous said that police are able to look for other loopholes to put them in jail again after social stigma. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka task forces in their combined operation had killed several people and physically abused several women during search of Veerappan said A Kathir, a human rights activist. He asked who will be held responsible for the flawed investigations.