The Madras High Court on Wednesday upheld the acquittal of nine alleged aides of forest brigand Veerappan in the 2000 abduction of Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar, holding that the prosecution had failed to adduce sufficient evidence to secure a conviction.
A Division Bench of Justices P. Velmurugan and M. Jyothiraman dismissed an appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu Police against the September 25, 2018 judgment of the Gopichettipalayam Sessions Court, which had cleared the accused after a protracted 18-year trial.
Rajkumar was kidnapped on July 30, 2000, from a farmhouse at Thottakajanur near Thalavadi in Erode district. He was held captive for 108 days before being released following intense negotiations involving emissaries and officials from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The abduction had triggered widespread outrage and tense protests across Karnataka at the time.
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The Thalavadi police registered a case against 14 persons, including Veerappan and his close associates. However, before the filing of the chargesheet in 2004, Veerappan and two aides, Sethukuli Govindan and Chandragowda, were killed in an encounter by the Special Task Force. Another accused, Mallu, died of cancer, while one more went absconding. The remaining nine stood trial.
In its 2018 verdict, the sessions court had found that the prosecution failed to establish a clear link between the accused and the kidnapping. It noted significant gaps in the investigation, including the non-examination of key witnesses such as Rajkumar and his wife Parvathammal, as well as intermediaries who were involved in negotiations during the hostage crisis.
Affirming the lower court’s reasoning, the High Court observed that in the absence of cogent and reliable evidence, interference with an order of acquittal was unwarranted. The Bench concluded that the prosecution had not proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt, bringing closure to one of the most sensational criminal cases in southern India’s recent history.
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