SLA complicit in assisting Karuna's extortion ring

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2011, 03:32 GMT]
Paramilitary personnel of the group led by Karuna working hand in hand with the intelligence personnel of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) are engaged in extorting money from people who go to work in Paduvaankarai village, Batticaloa, according to complaints filed by the victims to authorities, civil sources in Batticaloa said. Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, alias Karuna, currently holds the post of Deputy Resettlement Minister in Mahinda Rajapakse government.

Owners of cattle and tractors, wealthy farmers called as “Poadimaar” engaged in paddy cultivation, traders who go to collect milk are all subjected to extortion, sources said.

The extortion gang is being led by Sivaprakasam Subramanian alias Maniam, and Maniam is alleged to be working closely with SLA intelligence personnel located in Tharavai camp intimidating former cadres of the LTTE and their families, complaints further stated.

Maniam is from the village of Chiththaa'ndi.

People go to Kudumpimalai, Azhiyaa-oadai, Miyaangku'lam to visit their relatives are also subjected to interrogation and are also forced to submit their details and telephone numbers by Maniam group.

The Sri Lanka police is also alleged to be complicit in the extortion, and benefit from receiving part of the ransom, villagers said.