LTTE suicide cadre, accomplice detained

Sandasen Marasinghe

COLOMBO: Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardana on Tuesday detained till May 7 a suspected LTTE suicide cadre and a supporter who were allegedly planning to attack the Kelanitissa Power Station and also to kill VIPs in Colombo.

The Criminal Investigation Department produced Francis Savior Tony Dinesh Kumar, an alleged LTTE suicide cadre and Thangarajah Surendran of 7/128 B, Nawa Kelanipura, Orugodawatta, Wellampitiya as suspects.

The CID has found that Surendran had provided lodging to Dinesh Kumar. Surendran was revealed to be a close associate of EPDP leader and Minister Douglas Devananda. The CID also found that Surendran had accompanied Dinesh Kumar to the office of the Minister Douglas Devananda as well.

Dinesh Kumar was taken into custody on April 1, by the CID after a driver of a 154 bus informed that he observed Dinesh Kumar noting down the crossroads on Bauddhaloka Mawatha and the colour lights, sitting in the front seat of his bus.

The Officer-in-Charge of the Criminal Investigation Department Chief Inspector G.S. Abeysekara informed the Court that two small cyanide capsules and one big cyanide capsule with a red strap, a map of Kelanitissa Power Station on a paper of the size of two A4 papers and a piece of paper that included code names and telephone numbers of 11 EPDP members were found from his possession.

According to the B-report the driver of a bus running between Angulana and Kiribathgoda had observed on April 1, a person writing down cross-roads and colour lights on the Bauddhaloka Mawatha.

The bus driver had handed over the suspect with the notes to the roadblock at the Brood House Army Camp on the Bauddhaloka Mawatha. Thereafter, the suspect was identified as P.S.T.D. Kumar of Wellampitiya. The soldiers handed him over to the Cinnamon Garden Police.

The CID has discovered that Dinesh Kumar was living in different places such as Akkarayankulam, another place in Suruvil, Urgavaturei, Jaffna, another place in No 22, Thawasikulam, Vavuniya and in Wellampitiya.

Kumar had noted all the cross-roads and colour lights on his left palm, from Borella Cemetery Roundabout to Tunmulla Junction.

After questioning Thangarajah, the CID found that Periyalan of the LTTE had handed Dinesh Kumar to Thangarajah. D. Kumar had been staying with him for six months and he was paid Rs. 43,000.

After it was revealed that Thangarajah had accompanied Dinesh Kumar to the office of Douglas Devananda, he lodged Dinesh Kumar in his house on the request of LTTE.

Thangarajah concealed the fact that he was keeping Kumar in his house from EPDP or its leader Minister Douglas Devananda and that Dinesh Kumar was an LTTE suicide cadre. Thangarajah Surendran was also taken into custody.

Later when questioning Dinesh Kumar, the CID found he was an LTTE suicide cadre called "Poona". He was sent to Colombo by LTTE stalwart "Kunnadus". He was accumulating facts of military leaders and VIPs to assassinate them. He also revealed about the cyanide capsules that he brought with him. They were found in a bag in his room.