Mastermind behind Thiruchelvam murder was in Chennai — Media

COLOMBO, SEPT 28: The mastermind behind the killing of Sri Lankan parliamentarian Neelam Thiruchelvam, flew down to Chennai from here almost a month-and-a-half before the moderate Tamil leader was blown up, local media quoting investigating agencies said on Tuesday.

Jesuthasan Eric Saundaranayagam, who police believe could disclose the identity of the suicide bomber that killed Thiruchelvam on July 29, reportedly flew to the Tamil Nadu capital on June 18 on an Indian Airlines flight.

Details about Saundaranayagam came to light after the Sri Lankan special branch arrested an intelligence cadre of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Kamanan, here.

Meanwhile, local media on Tuesday quoted army sources as saying that the LTTE ultras allegedly used chemical weapons during their armed encounters with Sri Lankan forces, defying the Geneva convention which bans chemical weapons.