Kidnapped Indian film icon Rajkumar (72) was released yesterday after 108 days in the hands of his bandit captors, resulting in mass celebrations in his home state of Karnataka. "I am highly relieved that the whole crisis is over. Rajkumar was released overnight and is reportedly in good health," said the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr S.M. Krishna.
The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, also echoed the euphoria.
"I and my government share their sense of relief and joy," he said in New Delhi, adding that it ended "a traumatic period for his wife, children, friends and admirers".
"Taking innocent people hostage is a crime against all canons of democracy and serves no purpose other than causing hurt. Such coercive methods militate against the rule of law and have no place in civil society," he said.
Thousands poured on to the streets of the Karnataka capital, Bangalore, in a spontaneous outpouring of emotion as the news spread.
During the three-month hostage crisis, frustration over delays in securing the film star's release had threatened on several occasions to boil over into violence.
State officials said Rajkumar was resting yesterday in Erode town, on the border between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu state. He was expected in Bangalore late last night or early this morning.
The film actor and three others were kidnapped by India's most wanted bandit, Veerappan, on July 30th in Tamil Nadu.
The precise reason behind his sudden release was not immediately clear.
"It was a psychological war and Veerappan at the end ran out of patience and released him," Mr Krishna said.
The actor's abduction initially fanned ethnic tensions and violence in Karnataka.
Rajkumar belongs to Karnataka's dominant Kannadiga community, while Veerappan is a Tamil. The two communities have a history of ethnic strife.
"We have many lessons to learn from this experience," said Mr Krishna, who thanked the "different linguistic groups" in Karnataka for mostly remaining calm over the past three months.
"Anybody trying to create problems now will be sternly dealt with," he said, adding that security had been strengthened in Tamil districts of Bangalore.