RAMANATHAPURAM: The Indian marine police have apprehended a Sri Lankan national, allegedly a former LTTE cadre and a history-sheeter, while he was trying to illegally enter India via Dhanushkodi on Saturday.
According to police sources, Y Jeyarasa (41), of Jaffna in Sri Lanka, was caught at Kampipadu seashore and brought to the Mandapam police station for interrogation. A preliminary inquiry revealed that he was helped by two Lankan nationals.
Jeyarasa worked as a labourer in Jaffna and allegedly was associated with the LTTE till the end of the civil war in 2009. He was surrendered to the Sri Lankan army after the war concluded and was lodged in Poonthotham prison, Vavuniya, for eight years from 2016, the police said. They added that Jeyarasa is married to Raji of Navanthanai, and has four children. He separated from his family in 2019 and lived with his mother.
The authorities further said that Jeyarasa has criminal cases registered in Sahavachery and Oorkavalthurai police stations in Sri Lanka. He decided to flee in order to evade the arrest, and approached one Rokshan, of Pechalai, Sri Lanka, on November 9, to help him arrange for a boat to India. Rokshan demanded 2,00,000 (SLR).
On November 10, he took the money and Jeyarasa set sail on a boat from Pechalai at 4 pm. On November 11, Jeyarasa landed at Kampipadu seashore at 7 am and was brought to Mandapam PS for interrogation. Jeyarasa has been booked under section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Passport (Entry into India) Rule, 1950.