Has Prabhakaran Fled to India?

(January 26, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Q Branch — the anti-extremist wing of Tamil Nadu Police is conducting investigations to find out whether Velupillai Prabakaran has entered Indian soil. There are rumours that that a seriously wounded Prabakaran may have been moved to Tamil Nadu to recuperate from wounds he received when his hide-out was bombed by SLAF jets recently. .

The Police are carrying out checks in all hospitals across the state for persons with unexplained wounds.

Meanwhile official sources have revealed that at least 200 industrial units in Coimbatore that had remained closed for a considerable period of time had suddenly resumed activity recently. These had been searched for any illicit productions including contraband bomb parts to be sent to tiger terrorists in Sri Lanka.

However, expressing concern over reported rise in LTTE activities in Tamil Nadu,the Congress asked the State Government to ban political parties and organisations which were openly supporting the proscribed outfit.

Participating in a discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address to the assembly, C. Gnanasekaran (Cong) cited reports that 102 LTTE cadre had infiltrated into the state during the last two years and cases had been filed against 40 of them under the National Security Act.

Recalling the recent arrest of LTTE intelligence wing leader Thambidurai Parameswaran and others, who allegedly attempted to procure arms and material for the LTTE, he questioned the "inaction" of the state's intelligence. He said the LTTE should be viewed in two phases - before and after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The scar over Rajiv Gandhi's assassination still remained among Congressmen, he said and urged Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to take steps to extradite LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran, the prime accused in the case, against whom a non-bailable warrant was pending.

Stating that the LTTE had also killed several Tamils, Gnanasekaran wondered how some parties and organisations in the state were openly supporting the outfit. The Government should ban such organisations and completely curb their activities, he urged.