NIA to probe arrest of Lankan woman with fake passport in Chennai

The Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over investigation of the case involving the arrest of a Sri Lankan woman with a fake Indian passport, in Chennai.

The officers are also looking into four others who have alleged ties with LTTE and possible funding to expand the activities of Tamil Tigers. The five suspects were identified as Letchumanan Mary Franciska, Kenniston Fernando, K Baskaran, Johnson Samuel and L Sellamuthu, the New Indian Express reported.

Letchumanan Mary Franciska was arrested in Chennai airport in October, 2021.

According to the NIA FIR, the case is related to creating several Indian Passports by submitting forged documents and other Indian identity documents. The suspects also used those fake documents to withdraw money from Mumbai Fort branch of Indian Overseas Bank, and allegedly used them to further activities of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a proscribed terrorist organisation.

Apart from a section of UAPA, the NIA has slapped the suspects with the Passport and Foreigners Amendment act.