India's most notorious bandit was preparing last night to negotiate with officials after kidnapping one of the country's most venerable film stars.
The kidnap of Rajkumar (pictured) is the climax to a criminal career in which Veerappan, who is wanted for more than 150 murders, has eluded capture for almost 15 years by hiding in southern India's impenetrable jungles.
Veerappan and at least 10 armed accomplices burst in on Rajkumar, a 72-year-old screen actor and veteran of 210 films, on Sunday night.
His farmhouse in the southern state of Tamil Nadu is near thick and mountainous jungle where Veerappan is known to be active.
The kidnappers led him and three male relatives into the forest.
News of the abduction prompted a swift and furious response in Rajkumar's native state, Karnataka, where he has superstar status. In the capital, Bangalore, protesters pelted newspaper offices with stones, set auto-rickshaws on fire and halted traffic. Schools were closed and bus services stopped.
Some 8,000 police officers tried to calm the situation.
Karnataka's chief minister, SM Krishna, flew to Tamil Nadu for urgent talks with his counterpart, M Karunanidhi. They agreed to send an emissary in "a day or two" to negotiate with Veerappan. The emissary, a Tamil magazine editor who has met Veerappan in the past, would discuss "some of the problems" he is facing, Mr Krishna said.
At the isolated farmhouse in the village of Gajanur, 140 miles south of Bangalore, Rajkumar's relatives said they were stunned by his abduction. "The whole village is waiting. No one has eaten. We are waiting for him to be released," Prema Gopal said.
Veerappan is wanted by the police in connection with 50 kidnappings, as well as the murders. A poacher who shot his first elephant almost 40 years ago at the age of 14, he has built up a vast ivory and sandalwood smuggling empire. The police believe he has killed 2,000 elephants.
He was last arrested in 1986 but escaped, killing four policeman and a forest official as they slept. Since then he has hidden in the impenetrable forest on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. Rajkumar's kidnap comes after several months in which Veerappan - who sports a handlebar moustache - has kept a relatively low profile. In the early 90s a taskforce of about 15,000 police officers tried unsuccessfully to flush him out. He offered to surrender but the deal fell through and he went on to kidnap nine forest officials. He was last spotted in February, by some shepherds.
At a press conference yesterday, Mr Krishna described the kidnapping. "About 10 or 12 armed people barged into his farmhouse after Dr Rajkumar had his dinner along with his family and was watching television," he said.
The actor made no attempt to resist and agreed to go with Veerappan, along with the three relatives.
Veerappan promised Rajkumar's wife, Parvathamma, that he would not be hurt and gave her an audio cassette outlining his demand for an emissary. Mrs Rajkumar delivered the cassette to Karnataka's chief minister early yesterday
It is thought that Veerappan, who has been charged with smuggling ivory worth £1.7m and sandalwood worth £15m, will ask for an amnesty.
Rajkumar made his debut in 1954 with the film Bedera Kannappa . His parts have ranged from stricken lover to tough policeman. Three years ago he won India's top cinema honour, the Dada Saheb Phalke award.
Last night Rajkumar's son, Shivraj Kumar, pleaded with the protesters in Bangalore and other Karnataka cities to stay calm.
"We realise people want to get my father back. But I would urge people not to make any problems for the police," he said.
