ERODE: A court in Gobichettipalayam in Erode district of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday acquitted nine people accused in the Kannada actor Rajkumar abduction case. The court acquitted them on the ground that police had failed to prove their involvement in the abduction of the late Kannada actor.Rajkumar was abducted by forest brigand Veerappan and his associates on July 30, 2000. The incident took place at Thoddakanjanur near Thalavadi in Erode district when Rajkumar was staying in his farmhouse. Veerappan released Rajkumar after 108 days.The Gobichettipalayam police registered a case. A total of 14 people, including Veerappan and his accomplices, were the accused in the case.Third additional sessions court judge Mani heard the case.Four people, including Veerappan, were killed in police encounter in 2004.One of the accused, Ramesh, has been absconding. The rest nine -- Govindaraj, Andril, Pasuvanna, Puttusamy, Kalmandiraman, Maran, Selvam, Amirthalingam and Nagaraj -- appeared before the judge, court sources said. The judge acquitted the nine accused stating that the police had failed to prove their link to Veerappan.

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