Bangalore, Aug. 1 :    Bangalore, Aug. 1:  Families of both captor and captive came together in their plea to Veerappan to release matinee idol Raj Kumar, even as chief minister S.M. Krishna announced suspension of police operations against the brigand. Nakkeeran editor and Veerappan-confidante R. Gopal is learnt to have left for the forests tonight to negotiate with the bandit for the release of the 72-year-old thespian and the three others held hostage since Sunday night. Gopal, who was in Perambalur for most of the day to attend the funeral of a murdered reporter of his magazine, made a quiet appearance in Chennai to take a letter of authorisation from the government before starting out, reports PTI. Karnataka home minister Mallikarjun Kharge said some cases registered against Gopal in 1996 for anti-state activities would be withdrawn as a goodwill gesture, while prominent film personalities, including Tamil superstar Rajnikant, Kannada actor-MP Ambareesh and Jayaprada, have also offered to meet Veerappan. On Day Two of the abduction drama, Raj Kumar's wife Parvathamma appealed to Veerappan to release her husband at the earliest without causing any harm. In a voice choked with emotion, she said the actor suffers from arthritis and had not taken medicine with him. 'Don't make him walk too much. You treat me like your sister and release my husband. We have lots of hope on you,' she said in her appeal which was broadcast on All India Radio. She found support in an unlikely quarter. Veerappan's daughter Vidya Rani, a third standard student at a convent in Mettur in Tamil Nadu, also asked her father to release Raj Kumar. She expressed confidence that Veerappan would not harm the hostages. Vidya was echoed by her mother. Veerappan's wife Muthulakshmi told reporters in Salem that her husband would not harm Raj Kumar. 'My husband is a kind man and will not go for revenge,' said Muthulakshmi, who lives in Mettur. She was quoted as having said that Veerappan would before long return to normal life, hinting he could be bargaining for amnesty this time and not for ransom. A virtual bandh prevailed in Bangalore for the second day today. Barring medical stores, all shops, business establishments and banks remained closed today and vehicles remained off the roads. In some places, effigies of Veerappan were burnt. Eight platoons of Rapid Action Force joined the 10,000 policemen already deployed in Bangalore where prohibitory orders have been clamped for a week since yesterday. Ambareesh claimed that Veerappan had demanded the release of Tada detenus. Addressing a news conference jointly with Jayaprada, the actor-MP said he had listened to an audio cassette sent by Veerappan and that the bandit had not asked for any money as ransom. Veerappan had also demanded that no harm should be done to Tamils in the state, Ambareesh said. A school teacher, who had escaped from the clutches of Veerappan when he was abducted in 1994, has come forward to mediate with the poacher to secure the release of Raj Kumar, reports PTI from Coimbatore.