Film star protest paralyses Bangalore

The southern Indian city of Bangalore - the heart of the country's information technology industry - has been largely paralysed after the kidnapping of a regional movie superstar.

A big security clampdown imposed after his fans took to the streets has seen road and rail traffic disrupted and shops, offices and schools stay shut.

The filmstar, Rajkumar, was abducted on Sunday night by India's most wanted fugitive, known as Veerappan.

The authorities are sending a local journalist as emissary to the bandit's forest hideout and say security-force operations against him have been suspended. Rajkumar is in his seventies and has starred in over two hundred films.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service