India asks permission to question KP again

The Indian Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA), which is investigating the conspiracy angle in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, has once again sought permission from the Sri Lankan authorities to question the financier of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Selvarasa Pathmanathan.

The MDMA, which comprises experts from CBI and other agencies, wrote a letter to Sri Lankan authorities in March. Sources in the CBI said the MDMA is keen to know about the bank details of Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias “KP” and some of his associates.

“Questioning of Pathmanathan is necessary as far as investigation of former PM’s assassination is concerned. The agency had written to the Sri Lankan authorities in this regard earlier also but no positive response came from the authority concerned,” sources said. They added that CBI is also waiting for the death certificate of LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran. The matter is being pursued constantly through the diplomatic channel.

“There are certain aspects of the case, which requires questioning of KP as well as his bank details. The agency has already prepared its questions which would be asked from KP, a key accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He was arrested in a Southeast Asian country and was brought to Sri Lanka,” sources said.

Pathmanathan was declared as one of the most wanted terrorist by the Interpol and he was heading LTTE’s global network for procuring weapons and other sophisticated equipment. There are also reports that he was head of the KP department of LTTE and was also engaged in global terror activities, sources said.

“A team of CBI officials had also travelled in 2002 to New Zealand for KP. The agency officials also questioned some Tamil nationals in New Zealandafter getting permission from the authority concerned in that country. Even India took up the matter with Germany to get certain bank details of KP. There are reports that KP had some bank accounts inGermanytoo,” sources added. The agency had approached nearly 23 countries with letters rogatory for Pathmanathan along with its findings against him.

asianage