Is Veerappan eligible for pardon?
By S.K. Ramoo BANGALORE, AUG. 5. Several politicians as well as fans of the Kannada film icon, Mr. Rajkumar, have been exerting pressure on the Government to grant amnesty to the forest brigand, Veerappan, in exchange for the release of the actor, without understanding the legal implications. In their view, any price is worth paying for the release of the star actor. Neither the Government nor the High Court and the Supreme Court have the power to grant blanket pardon to the notorious outlaw, whose crimes include the murders of about 100 persons and killings of over 2,000 wild elephants. In addition, he has also been accused of poaching, smuggling and abducting several individuals for ransom. But, if the State Government is acquiescent, it can weaken the prosecution’s case against Veerappan by diluting or destroying the overwhelming evidence so far collected by the police against him. If this is done, the Government would incur the wrath of the public as it amounts to condoning a multi
