Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani on Sunday night dismissed Veerappan's claim that JD (U) leader H Nagappa was killed following an encounter between the Tamil Nadu STF and the forest brigand's men.

"Nagappa's body was recovered about 30km within the Karnataka border," Advani told reporters in Ahmedabad where he is campaigning for the Gujarat polls.

"I spoke to both the chief ministers and based on this, I can say that prima facie, the encounter theory is false," he said.