Sri Lanka’s TID interrogates Indian journalist in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 December 2013, 13:19 GMT]
The journalist from Tamil Nadu, Maga Thamizh Prabhagaran, who was arrested by the occupying SL military and police in Vanni, while he was visiting Ki’linochchi was still under the custody of the ‘Terrorist Investigation Department’ as late as Thursday night, informed sources in Colombo said. Earlier, the SL police spokesman in Colombo had stated that the Mr Thamizh Prabhagaran was being handed over to the immigration authorities for deportation. But, Colombo's TID officers were interrogating the Indian journalist on his contact network in the island by going through his article series that has appeared in Junior Vikatan, the sources further said.

In the meantime, journalist community and the political parties in Tamil Nadu have demanded New Delhi to intervene and secure the safe return of Indian journalist.

MDMK leader Vaiko in an urgent letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged immediate and appropriate measures to be taken through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to release the Indian citizen from Colombo’s custody and to make sure his safe return to Tamil Nadu.

Journalist associations in Chennai were preparing for the next action after sending urgent appeals to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in New Delhi.

The occupying SL military interfering in the civil affairs arrested the journalist Maga Thamizh Prabahagaran on Wednesday in Ki’linochchi district while the journalist was talking to the parish priest of St. Antony’s Church at the presence of Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian S. Sritharan and fellow TNA politicians who were on a tour visiting Ponnaave’li and meeting the people there.

The TID department is manned by military intelligence officers, who receive direct instructions from SL presidential sibling and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

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