KP Flees Sri Lanka

By Easwaran Rutnam

Former LTTE chief arms procurer KumaranPathmanathan (KP), who was facing arrest by the new Sri Lankan Government, has reportedly fled Sri Lanka, Parliamentarian RajithaSenaratne said. He said that the Government received information KP fled Sri Lanka using the VIP lounge at the airport and that an investigation has been launched. KP is wanted in India over the murder of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the UNP has been consistently questioning the freedom given to KP by the former government despite all the allegations remaining against his name.

“A UNP govt will explore these allegations through the normal legal channels in the country,” Prime Minister RanilWickremesinghe had said just before the Presidential elections.

Recently the Indian media reported that India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had approached Interpol to expedite its request to question KumaranPathmanathan for the assassination of Gandhi.

The Times of India quoted sources as saying that Interpol’s help has also been sought to convince Sri Lanka to assist in the case and reply to the judicial requests (letters rogatory), which have been pending for years. CBI feels the case has been held up for very long and should be wrapped up quickly after getting all information from Sri Lanka.

KP was nabbed in Malaysia in August 2009 after which he was kept in detention in Colombo till late 2012. However, he was released to work for his NGO under state protection in Kilinochchi.