After 16-year global hunt, KP, most wanted in Rajiv assassination, is held in Bangkok

Confidential dossiers of the Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) — set up in 1998 to uncover the larger conspiracy of the assassination and which got its latest extension in May — reveal that the 52-year-old KP, a Jaffna native, tops the list of 21 suspects named in the Jain Commission of Inquiry.

The dossier describes KP as “the chief arms procurer for the LTTE since long. He is also in charge of collection of finances for the LTTE outside Sir Lanka. The fleet of ships owned by LTTE also carry out its operations between different parts of the world under his supervision — he maintains offices and bank accounts in different parts of the world.”

In its report, the Jain Commission said that KP was among the LTTE operatives who had “prior knowledge” about the impending attack on Rajiv Gandhi but he eluded the Special Investigation Team (SIT) when the assassination probe began.

The SIT questioned KP’s brother,Yogeswaran, who lives in India and also questioned Sivakumar, his brother’s son-in-law who was earlier working in one of KP’s ships and later settled in New Zealand, where MDMA officials met him. But these encounters yielded nothing as to the whereabouts of KP.

Intelligence inputs received by India indicated KP was undergoing medical treatment in Norway and had been provided “sanctuary” by the Norwegian Government. Following a Red Corner Notice being issued in his name, this was taken up with the Interpol wing in Oslo but in a message received in December 2003, authorities there claimed they had no knowledge of his whereabouts. They however, registered his name in the electronic register of “wanted or missing persons.”

In January 2004, the CBI Director wrote to the Foreign Secretary to urge the Government of Norway to take appropriate action for apprehending KP. The State Secretary of Norway admitted to New Delhi that while there were unaware of KP’s visit to Oslo “if KP had come incognito with forged documents under some other name it was technically possible to have eluded the system.”

The CBI also used diplomatic channels to trace KP’s assets and bank accounts in London and the High Commission in London was asked to send all documents relating to KP’s passport.

Besides KP, there are six other Sri Lankan suspects in the assassination case which the MDMA has listed as “whereabouts unknown.” They are Baby Subramaniam, Kanthan, Ramanan, Chokkan, Aruna and Nixon.

In all, the MDMA, in the nine years of its existence, has dispatched 23 LRs to unmask the assassination conspiracy, the largest number for KP. But the main impediment for the agency has been the fact that since 2000 several countries — including Germany, Australia, Switzerland and the Netherlands — demanded “specific undertakings” that the death penalty would not be imposed/ carried out against any person under investigation in the Rajiv Gandhi case.

The view of the Law Ministry, obtained by the CBI, was that such an undertaking would affect the cases of several of the absconding accused (like KP and LTTE supreme V Prabhakaran) who are wanted in the assassination case.

After the rebellion of the LTTE’s former eastern commander, Karuna Ammana, KP’s arrest is a major setback for the LTTE.

The Sri Lankan Defence website quotes Jane’s Defence Intelligence Review, a defence journal, as saying that while KP took care of the weapons procurement, Aiyanna, a senior LTTE leader, headed the international intelligence network for the organization besides networking the funds collection from the Tamil Diaspora.

KP is believed to have fled Sri Lanka soon after the 1983 anti-Tamil riots in Colombo, setting up a shipping company in Singapore. He acquired the first ship, M. V. Chozhan, for the Tigers and subsequently purchased five more, all involved in running of arms meant for use by the Tiger rebels in the civil war in Sri Lanka.

According to Intelligence reports, KP was arrested twice since 1983 for smuggling gold from Singapore to Bombay. He disappeared again until the SIT probing the Rajiv assassination claimed KP had slipped out of India via Bombay five days after the murder on May 21,1991.

Even as the Thai police picked up KP, the Lankan Navy struck further blows, sinking three huge LTTE vessels carrying heavy weapons and other battleware in the Indian Ocean between Monday morning and early Tuesday.

Sri Lankan Defence officials said 42 Tigers were also killed in the sea battle. The arms-laden ships are said to have carried one bullet-proof vehicle meant for LTTE chief Prabhakaran and spares for three light aircraft. — with inputs from Jaya Menon, Chennai.

Money, materials manager for Tigers

Kumaran Padmanathan, 52,

according to the Jain panel and the multi-agency probe:

• Jaffna native tops list of 21 suspects named in the Jain Commission.

• Chief arms procurer for LTTE, in charge of fundraising.

• Owns fleet of ships that operate for LTTE.

• KP had “prior knowledge” of the attack on Rajiv Gandhi.

• SIT questioned KP’s brother Yogeswaran who lives in India and Sivakumar, his brother’s son-in-law, settled in New Zealand.

• KP was in Norway for medical treatment but Oslo said no knowledge of whereabouts.