Tamil film industry executive charge-sheeted in LTTE revival case

The NIA has filed a charge sheet in a special court in Tamil Nadu against one more accused -- a production executive in the local film industry -- in a case related to the revival of the LTTE in Sri Lanka and India.

Lingam A alias Adilingam is the 14th accused to be charge-sheeted in the case registered in 2022 in which 16 people have been arraigned as accused so far, the anti-terror federal agency said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said Adilingam has been charged with conspiring and acting to revive the proscribed terror organisation through illegal trade in narcotic drugs and arms.

 

Adilingam had also acted as an agent for collection of hawala money obtained from the sale of narcotic drugs that were being further distributed to promote Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) activities, it said.

In the supplementary charge sheet filed before the Special Court for NIA Cases at Poonamallee in Chennai, the NIA has elaborated on the role of Adilingam in the entire conspiracy.

The charge sheet reveals that the accused was employed as a production executive in the Tamil film industry while clandestinely working as a key operative of major LTTE leaders and cadres and drug traffickers, including Gunasekaran and his son Thilipan -- both citizens of Sri Lanka.

On June 15, 2023, the NIA had filed a charge sheet before the special court against 13 accused, charging them with hatching conspiracies in various parts of Tamil Nadu to carry out terror activities and drug trafficking in the territorial waters of the Indian Ocean.

One such case was registered and investigated by the NIA's Kochi branch following the seizure of a huge consignment of drugs and weapons by Indian agencies in 2021.

The consignment consisted of more than 300 kilogrammes of heroin, five AK-47 rifles and 1,000 rounds of Pakistan-made ammunition. Nine accused were also charge-sheeted in that case and their trial is underway.