PLOTE military leader under investigation

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 September 1999, 13:18 GMT]
K.Chanthirakulasingam alias Mohan, former Vice Chairman of the Vavuniya Urban Council has been appointed as the Vavuniya District Organiser for the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE).

PLOTE sources said the group's political wing has taken over the functions of the PLOTE office at Vairavapuliyankulam as of yesterday, under Mohan's leadership.

Mohan's appointment follows the arrest of Hari Babu, by the Sri Lanka Army last week.

Police sources said that Hari Babu is detained at the sixth floor of the Police Head Quarters in Colombo.

The police are investigating reports of a plan to kill the PLOTE's leader Tharmalingam Sithardhan and other senior members at the funeral of former PLOTE military leader Manikkadasan.

Manikkadasan and Sithardhan are said to have been involved in a bitter internal feud in which several cadres from both factions of the PLOTE died.

Manikkadasan was killed in a claymore blast on September 2, at the PLOTE's 'Lucky Camp' in Vavuniya. Hari Babu was a member of Manikkadasan's faction.

Meanwhile, Hari Babu's deputy, Jegan, is absconding, they added.