Ahmedabad: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani has dismissed Veerappan's claim that
Janata Dal – United (JD-U) leader H Nagappa was killed following an encounter
between Tamil Nadu special task force (STF) and the forest brigand's men, saying "it
appears to be false".
"I spoke to both the Chief Ministers and based on this, I can say that prima facie,
the so-called encounter was false," Advani told reporters on December 8 night here
where he is campaigning for Gujarat polls.
He said, "The body of Nagappa was recovered some 30 kms within the Karnataka border
and the claims that Nagappa was killed in the encounter by Tamil Nadu police appears
to be false."
In a gory end to the 106-day old hostage crisis, the body of abducted JD (U) leader
H Nagappa was found in Chengadi jungles near Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border on December
8 evening after forest brigand Veerappan sent an audio cassette tape washing his
hands off his captive claiming he was injured in an encounter with Tamil Nadu STF.
PTI
