Forest brigand Veerappan sent his sixth cassette to the Karnataka government on Sunday, even as the abducted former minister H Nagappa spent his 106th day in the outlaw's captivity.

The audiotape was delivered at Nagappa's residence at Kamagere near Kollegal in Chamrajanagar district early in the morning.

The contents of the cassette have not been disclosed to the media so far. While unofficial sources and some TV channels said that Veerappan may have abandoned Nagappa in the jungle, the former minister's son-in-law, Kiran Patel, said he had no such information.

The state govenment has been informed about the arrival of the tape.

The contents of this cassette would be crucial in resolving the hostage crisis, coming as it does in the backdrop of legal hurdles being faced by the state government in securing bail for Tamil activist Kolathur Mani, whom Veerappan wants sent to his jungle hideout to negotiate Nagappa's release.