A close associate of former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Kalmunai in connection with serious allegations involving abductions and murders.
The arrest follows a series of revelations during interrogations of Pillayan, who remains in remand custody.
In a related development, former Eastern Provincial Council member K. Pushpakumar, also known as Iniya Bharathi, and another suspect named Sivalingam Thavaseelan were arrested on July 6 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
These arrests are linked to the 2006 abduction and disappearance of Professor S. Ravindranath, former Vice Chancellor of Eastern University, who went missing in Colombo. Pillayan was arrested on April 8 in Batticaloa and is currently detained under the PTA.
According to police, Iniya Bharathi, a former LTTE commander turned ally of the Karuna faction, was allegedly involved in multiple abductions and enforced disappearances between 2005 and 2009 in Thirukkovil and Vinayagapuram. He was also accused by the United Nations in 2011 of involvement in child soldier recruitment and disappearances.
Iniya Bharathi later became a Coordinating Secretary during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidency and now serves as the SLFP organizer for Ampara District.
Investigations led by CID and STF officers also uncovered documents, mobile phones, and a satellite phone from Pillayan’s Batticaloa office.
Authorities revealed further evidence linking Pillayan’s network to several killings, including the 2008 murder of a police officer and an intelligence agent in Batticaloa, the shooting of two individuals in Kattankudy, and the murder of a businessman traveling by boat during the 2007–2008 period.
Investigators have also discovered that Pillayan allegedly operated multiple detention camps across the Eastern Province to hold individuals who opposed him.
Search operations at these sites are ongoing under CID supervision, and further arrests are expected as the probe continues.