ED to Investigate Sri Lankan Woman for Alleged LTTE Revival Activities

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will question a Sri Lankan woman, Letchumanan Mary Francisca, in connection with a money laundering case. The probe centers around allegations that Francisca aimed to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a banned terrorist organization in Sri Lanka. Authorities allege that Francisca, who entered India on a tourist visa in December 2019, sought to create fake identification documents and siphon funds from inactive bank accounts to support LTTE operations. She was apprehended at Chennai airport in October 2021 and has been incarcerated since then. After the National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigated the case, the ED filed a money laundering case. Now, the ED is permitted to interrogate Francisca within the jail, using necessary electronic equipment. The two-day interrogation aims to expose the network behind the forged identities and financial dealings. The NIA has indicated that several individuals are involved in reviving the LTTE, including efforts to gain support in India and abroad. Francisca’s case is one of four such cases under NIA investigation.