Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna on Sunday categorically rejected elusive sandalwood smuggler Veerappan's conditional offer to surrender, asserting that the special task forces (STF) of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka would continue their operations to nab the outlaw. "There is no question of giving in to any conditions", Krishna said in Bangalore. "The question of withdrawal of STF does not arise at all".

Breaking his year-long silence after the release of abducted Kannada thespian Rajkumar in November last year, Veerappan has now asked -- in an audio cassette sent to a Tamil magazine editor -- for withdrawal of STF as a pre-condition for his surrender.

Krishna said, "both the task forces are relentlessly pursuing........They are going after veerappan. We should give them (STF) a chance to nab him".
"Anybody who is wanted by police can surrender at the nearest police station", he said. Asked if he would talk to the Tamil Nadu government on the issue of Veerappan's surrender offer, Krishna said the question did not arise as of now. Bureau Report