ED Gets Nod to Grill Sri Lankan Woman in LTTE Fund Probe
- Chennai court permits two-day ED interrogation inside Puzhal prison.
- Franciska accused of forging IDs, mobilising funds to revive LTTE.
- Alleged attempt to siphon ₹42 crore from dormant bank account.
- Probe links to Denmark-based ex-LTTE operative Umakanthan.
- Case among four NIA investigations into suspected LTTE activities in India.
GG News Bureau
Chennai, 23rd Sept: The Enforcement Directorate has obtained permission from a Chennai court to interrogate Sri Lankan national Letchumanan Mary Franciska inside Puzhal Central Prison in a money laundering probe tied to an alleged attempt to revive the banned LTTE.
Franciska, arrested at Chennai airport in October 2021, will face two days of questioning. The court called it a “peculiar case” and allowed ED officials to carry laptops, printers and other equipment during the interrogation.
Investigators allege Franciska entered India on a tourist visa in December 2019, secured fake identity documents and tried to access dormant bank accounts to channel funds for regrouping LTTE cadres. Her arrest triggered a wider probe, leading to the detention of seven others, including T Kenniston Fernando and K Baskaran, and exposing links to Denmark-based former LTTE operative Umakanthan.
The NIA says she attempted to siphon over ₹42 crore from an inactive Indian Overseas Bank account, with foreign remittances traced to her associates. Last year, a Delhi High Court tribunal upheld the Centre’s ban on LTTE, citing continued propaganda and fundraising efforts by its remnants.
