Mysore/Mysuru: Jnanaprakash, an aide of forest brigand late Veerappan, who was serving life sentence in Mysuru Central Prison, was released on bail this morning.

The Chamarajanagar District and Sessions Court had recently ordered for the release of 68-year-old Jnanaprakash on the surety of two persons and Rs. 5 lakh bond. This follows the recent Supreme Court order granting bail to Jnanaprakash on Nov. 26.

He has spent 29 years behind the bars at Hindalaga in Belagavi and later in Mysuru. He is suffering from lung cancer since one-and-a-half years and is being treated at Kidwai Cancer Hospital in Bengaluru.

A native of Martalli San-dhanapalya in Hanur taluk, Chamarajanagar district, Jnanaprakash, along with Veerappan, Simon, Bilavendran and Meesekaara Madaiah were involved in Palar bomb blast case in 1993 and the TADA Court in Mysuru had sentenced them to death by hanging in 1997. But in 2014, the SC modified their death sentence into life sentence.

While Veerappan was killed in Police encounter on Oct. 18, 2004, Simon died at the prison ward in Victoria Hospital on Apr. 15, 2018 and Bilavendran too died a few years ago. Jnanaprakash and Madaiah were serving life sentence and today Jnanaprakash has been released on bail.