MADRAS: Investigators probing the assassination of former premier Rajiv Gandhi are astounded the level of penetration by a to; Sri Lankan Tamil militant group into the body politic of Tamil Nadu by acquiring assets accomplices Agents acquaintances and access to political activists.

A spokesman of the special investigation team (SIT) told PTI here it is amazing how the Lankan Connection crops up every so often at different stages of the probe.

At least four members (some Now reported to be held) of the gang of nine said to be involved in the killing of Rajiv Gandhi could be Sri Lankan Tamil Militants with a good network of accomplices and agents properties including houses and a printing press besides vast sums of money and contacts to provide them shelter and logistic support the spokesman said.

The SIT spokesman said Muthurajah a Sri Lankan Tamil militant who was suspected to be a key linkman and Murugan alias Das alias Raju an 18-yr-old Sri Lankan Tamil youth were believed to be members of this gang.

The Sri Lankan connections of the alleged woman suicide bomber Thanu and the suspected Kurta-clad accomplice Sivarasan alias Raja as also that of another suspect Subha were being probed he said.

The extent of the network in the form of communication resources and personnel was shocking the spokesman said adding that the gang members had found it easy to go into hiding and lie low for fairly long periods because of the preparation before the Sriperumbudur bomb blast.

The SIT spokesman also said the one-eyed jack suspected to be head of LTTE’s intelligence wing and wanted in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case was very much alive and the CBI was still hunting for him.

The spokesman told PTI that report of his being killed on the orders of his groups apex command were totally misleading and false.

Meanwhile the SIT has increased the reward for information on Nalini Subha Andmurugan who are on the run to Rs 100 thousand each.

Hideout found

MADRAS: An innocuous ‘printing’ in a small two-room peak set a house in the heart of atypical middleclass locality here and a small house in an isolated area at suburban Villivakkam in north Madras appear to have served as a cover for the gang behind Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination.

Two PTI correspondents, who visited the premises of the ‘printing press’ in Royapettah in the heart of the Madras, run by S Bhagyanathan, arrested by the

visited the premises of the ‘printing press’ in Royapettah in the heart of the Madras run by 9 Bhagyanathan arrested by the CBJ along with his mother Padma on Wednesday for allegedly CBJ along with his mother Padma on Wednesday for allegedly “giving shelter’ to the assassination squad, found that the press did not even have a name board.

Housed in a two-room portion of a larger house which had several such portions the ‘press’ was hardly functional according to the landlady who said she had rented out that portion with ‘great reluctance’.

With Bhagyanathan pleading that he was unemployed and was setting up the press with a bank loan she consented. Bhagyanathan’s offer of Rs 9000 as advance for a small portion appeared to have clinched the deal.

Several men and women of the neighborhood visibly shaken and taken aback that the harborers of Gandhi’s assassins have been there said several people including Nalini one of the accused in the case had frequented the place.

They said two cars one white and another blue were found parked near the ‘presses. (Eye witnesses said the alleged woman assassin and two accomplices had arrived at Sriperumbudur on May 21 in a blue car).

Though the ‘press’ was set up a little over a month ago Bhagyanathan and his assistant a bespectacled old man’ had not made any effort to start the business Even the ‘wooden paraphernalia’ that were needed to make the composing tables were left on the platform outside for several days the neighbors said.

These were moved in only after complaints that they were turning to be ‘precarious play things’ for the kids.

There was no evidence of any printing activity. Thick layer of dust had already settled on the articles inside.

The landlady of the house virtually in tears said she had come to know of the whereabouts of her tenant only from the morning’s newspapers. Her tenant who had moved in on May 5 last was yet to pay the first month’s rent she said.

The landlady said she knew nothing about the man except that he had been put on to her by an old man a priest of a nearby Amman (Goddess) temple who was also a house broker

When the correspondents approached the priest Subramani he denied having fixed up the place for the accused. However he admitted in front of the land lady that Bhayanthan was introduced to him by a newspaper boy.

The Priest said he had introduced Bhagyanathan to the landlady with a request that the unemployed man needed a portion in her building. But I did not see Bhagyanathan thereafter though I later received Rs 100 for the service rendered’ he added.

Bhagyanathan his mother Padma and his younger sister Kalyani were picked up by the CBI from their house (a three room rear portion of a building) in a thickly populated lower middle class area in the city Sunday last.

The owners of that house knew very little about Bhagyanathan’s family Except that they were generally ‘sweet’ people. It was only for months back that they had moved into that house.

Mrs Padma’s elder daughter Nalini did not stay with them the house owner said adding that he was told that Nalini was staying with her aunt at Villivakkam. Kalyani Nalini’s younger sister worked as a nurse in a corporation hospital at Saidapet he said. Nalini wanted by the CBI in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case had visited her mother and brother Bhagyanathan a month back he said.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 21, 1991