Three LTTE Supporters arrested in Delhi

(January, 16, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Three Sri Lankan nationals, suspected to have links with the LTTE, and a person from Chennai were arrested in the national Capital allegedly with forged travel documents.

The Lankans - identified as Francis Jansan(29), T.S. Ranjit (28) and John Mary Agastan (22) - were nabbed from a hotel at Paharganj in central Delhi, a senior police officer said, adding that the fake travel papers were also seized from them. The fourth man, Ayakannu, was accompanying the trio who hailed from trouble-torn Jaffna where the LTTE and the Sri Lankan army are battling for control.

Acting on a tip-off, the Special Operation Squad of Delhi Police's Crime Branch in Delhi arrested the four persons who were found behaving in a suspicious manner near the hotel where they were staying.

The searches in their room led to the recovery of forged Indian passports and visa, the officer said.

"As of now, we have not established that they have any links with Tamil Tigers. We have booked them under relevant sections of the Foreigners' Act. Further investigations are on," the officer said.

The Lankans are understood to have told their interrogators, including officers from intelligence bureau, that they have procured the documents from another Chennai-based man by paying about Rs 75,000.

The Lankans have given statement to police to the effect that they have no links with LTTE and left Jaffna as they were upset with the continued violence in the region and wanted to live a peaceful life.

A team has been sent to Chennai to nab the man who allegedly arranged the forged documents, the official said.

Delhi Police has already written to the Ministry of External Affairs to help them verifying the antecedents of the Lankans while waiting for the report from the team which has gone to Chennai, the Official added.