Four detained under NSA for duping 15 SL Tamils

Four men, including three Sri Lankan Tamils, arrested last month by the ‘Q’ branch personnel in Coimbatore for duping 15 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from various camps, have been detained under the National Security Act (NSA).

The quartet identified as Shivashankar alias Shankar (33) and Srijayan alias Jagan (34),  do not belong to any of the refugee camps, a press release here said.

However, two others, Sathish Kumar and Veeramani are both believed to be from the Mandapam refugee camp in Rameshwaram.

According to a release issued by the police, all four men are said to have confessed to their roles in promising Sri Lankan refugees a clandestine passage via boat to the Australian continent.

The four men are believed to have received around Rs 20 lakhs in cash and jewellery from the 15 refugees at various camps across the state.

Once suspicion arose among the victims that the four might have cheated them, they approached the police who arrested Shankar, Jagan and two others last month.

Sathish Kumar and Veeramani were still at large when two of his co-conspirators, Shankar and Jagan, were arrested last month.

The release went onto state that the Coimbatore city police commissioner, A K Viswanathan had instructed his officers to arrest the four under the National Security Act. The four arrested are said to be held in the Coimbatore and Puzhal Central prisons.

“Q” Branch police remain tight-lipped as to how and when Sathish and Veeramani were taken into custody. Officials speaking to Express declined to divulge any further information other than what was given in the press release. (Source: Indian Express)