Chennai: DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) president M Karunanidhi on November 23 stoutly denied the allegation of former Karnataka DGP, C Dinakar, that an amount of Rs 20 crore was paid as ransom to secure the release of Kannada thespian Rajkumar from the clutches of forest brigand Veerappan in the year 2000.

He told reporters in Chennai that Dinakar might have made the allegations in his book, 'Veerappan's Prize catch', due to differences of opinion between him and the Karnataka Chief Minister, S M Krishna.

Karunanidhi, who was Tamil Nadu Chief Minister during that period, said the Special Task Forces of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as also emissaries, had taken all the efforts to secure the release of Rajkumar.

"According to my knowledge, not even a single Paisa changed hands in Tamil Nadu. There is no chance of ransom having been paid to Veerappan in Karnataka," he said, when asked about the Dinakar's allegations.

PTI