Nedumaran’s claim on Prabhakaran : Central agencies, TN police to probe

The shocking revelation of Tamil nationalist leader, Pazha Nedumaran that Veluppilai Prabhakaran, Chief of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was alive and safe had made reverberations across the intelligence community globally. Indian agencies and the Tamil Nadu 'Q' branch police have commenced an investigation into the revelation even as the Sri Lankan Army has ruled out the claim stating that they have the DNA sample drawn from the dead body of the person they stated was Prabhakaran. However, the Indian agencies, according to sources, have not ruled out the statement of Nedumaran, the President of World Tamil Confederation, a long-time associate of Prabhakaran and Tamil movement, who has inside information on the style of functioning of the LTTE and other Tamil organisations. The statement of Nedumaran that Prabhakaran, his wife and daughter were safe and that he would surface at the appropriate time was made during a press conference at Thanjavur on Feb. 13. The Tamil Nadu intelligence department has already constituted a team of police officers to probe the revelation. The team is led by ADGP Intelligence Davidson, DIG of Police Senthilvelan and 'Q' branch SP Kannamal. The Central agencies have also begun an investigation, and Nedumaran will be questioned soon, said sources. A senior official with the Tamil Nadu Police headquarters while speaking to IANS said, "The special team constituted will study on the recent phone calls made by Nedumaran and the people with whom he was in touch and all his close associates will be monitored." In October 2021, the Tamil Nadu Police arrested a person, Santukam alias Sabesan on charges of being involved in smuggling drugs, AK 47 rifles, and pellets from a ship. Sabesan was a close associate of Potu Amman, the former Chief of the Intelligence wing of the LTTE. The arrested, including Sabesan, had told the investigating officers that drugs and arms were smuggled for raising funds for the revival of LTTE. With the startling revelation of Nedumaran and the former operatives of the LTTE vouching for the revival of the organization, the intelligence is not leaving any stone unearthed in this case.