Veerappan aides hope to cheat the gallows

The four aides of slain forest brigand Veerappan, now on the death row in the Hindalga jail in Belgaum, have no last desire to express, as they are confident that their capital punishment would be commuted to imprisonment for life.That was the message carried by the relatives of the prisoners who met them for 15 minutes on Tuesday.Speaking to reporters in Belgaum, the prisoners’ relatives Anthony Swami, Alexander and Martin Kumar said they still pinned their hopes on the supreme court. They also added that the four prisoners on the death row - Gnanaprakasham, Simon, Meesekara Madaiah and Bilavendran - were depressed about the imminence of the execution.“They urged us to take care of their family members,” the relatives, adding that the prisoners iterated that they were innocent. Advocate for the prisoners MR Ramesh also present on the occasion.Veerappan’s widow Muthu Laxmi is reported to have called the jail’s landline and spoken to the four men. Enquiring about their health, she advised them not to lose heart and keep up their spirits.@DNA