# 108-day hostage crisis: Veerappan abducts Dr Rajkumar on Bhimana Amavasya 2026-08-13T01:57:32+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet On July 30, 2000, Bhimana Amavasya night, forest brigand Veerappan abducted Kannada cinema icon Dr Rajkumar from his farmhouse in Gajanur. The actor was taken along with three others into the forests, beginning a 108-day hostage crisis that paralysed Karnataka. Veerappan handed Rajkumar's wife, Parvathamma, an audio cassette for Chief Minister S M Krishna, setting off an emergency government response. Journalist R R Gopal of Nakkheeran acted as intermediary between Veerappan and the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments. Dr Rajkumar reportedly maintained his daily yoga and pranayama during captivity. He was released unharmed on November 15, 2000, sparking mass celebrations across the state. The abduction is depicted in the 2013 film Attahasa. ## Coverage - cinemaexpress.com Tags: Dr Rajkumar, hostage crisis, Karnataka, Nakkheeran, S M Krishna, Veerappan Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/108-day-hostage-crisis-veerappan-abducts-dr-rajkumar-on-bhimana-amavasya/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/108-day-hostage-crisis-veerappan-abducts-dr-rajkumar-on-bhimana-amavasya/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.