ERODE, DEC. 21.

The Nakeeran reporter, Mr. Sivasubramanian, arrested in connection with the Veerappan cases, was today remanded to 15 days' custody by the judicial magistrate, Bhavani, Mr. N. Krishnan.

The magistrate also allowed the police to interrogate the scribe and granted police custody for seven days. During the course of custody, the scribe's counsel may meet him once in two days.

The police charged that Mr. Sivasubramaniam had received from the forest brigand a 410 musket, said to have been stolen from the Vellitiruppur police station on December 28, 1998.

Counsel for the scribe, Mr. B. P. Mohan, said he had been ``illegally and unlawfully abducted'' from near his house at Attur, Salem district, by some unknown police personnel on November 20.

Mr. Sivasubramanian was then taken to Karnataka, where he was subjected to ill-treatment, and mental and physical torture.

The petition also said the reporter was prevented from representing anything before the magistrate in court in Karnataka.

The assistant public prosecutor, however, denied these charges.

Mr. Sivasubramanian himself informed the magistrate that he was humiliated by the Karnataka police and because of a ``language problem'' he could not voice the same to the Karnataka magistrate.

The magistrate then asked the scribe to make the statement to him. The reporter presented a written complaint stating he was illegally taken by the Karnataka police and harassed.

The magistrate, disallowing the petition filed by counsel for the reporter, remanded him till January 4.

Later, Mr Sivasubramanian told reporters that false cases were registered against him and claimed that he was innocent. His wife and children were also present in the court.

The magistrate permitted Mr. Sivasubramanian to speak to his family members for 15 minutes.