25 years after sensational abduction, High Court clears nine Veerappan aides in Rajkumar kidnapping case
Chennai : Bringing closure to a decades-long legal battle, the Madras High Court has acquitted nine alleged associates of forest outlaw Veerappan in connection with the kidnapping of Kannada icon Dr Rajkumar. The High Court upheld the earlier acquittal by the sessions court, citing lack of concrete evidence against the accused.
The Chennai police had challenged the sessions court verdict, which had acquitted all nine accused in 2018. However, the High Court bench found no merit in the appeal and ruled that the prosecution failed to conclusively prove the accused persons’ involvement in the kidnapping plot.
The acquitted individuals were among several suspects accused of assisting Veerappan, who had abducted Dr Rajkumar from his farmhouse in Gajanur village on July 30, 2000. The kidnapping sent shockwaves across India, especially in Karnataka, where Rajkumar was revered as a cultural icon.
Dr Rajkumar was held hostage in the dense forests along the Karnataka–Tamil Nadu border for 108 days. The incident triggered statewide protests, emotional appeals from fans, and intense negotiations between government representatives and Veerappan’s intermediaries. The actor was eventually released safely, but the case continued to haunt investigators for decades.
Police had filed cases against multiple suspects, including Veerappan’s relatives and alleged accomplices. However, several accused were either killed in encounters, died during investigation, or remained absconding. Veerappan himself was killed in a Special Task Force operation in October 2004, ending his reign of terror.
During the trial, the court noted serious shortcomings in the investigation process. Key witnesses were not examined, and prosecutors failed to present convincing material evidence linking the accused to the crime. These lapses weakened the prosecution’s case, ultimately leading to acquittal.
The High Court’s latest ruling confirms that the acquitted individuals cannot be held criminally responsible due to insufficient proof. The verdict represents a major legal setback for the prosecution but also marks the end of a long-running chapter in one of India’s most infamous criminal cases.
