Production Executive Associated with Kollywood Striving to Revive LTTE: NIA

The production executive Lingam has been charged with conspiring and acting to revive the proscribed terrorist organisation through illegal trade in narcotic drugs and arms. Lingam had also acted as an agent for the collection of hawala money obtained from the sale of narcotic drugs, which were being further distributed to promote LTTE activities, reports ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi:The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said that a production executive in Kollywood, Lingam A alias Adilingam, was working as a key operative to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In a chargesheet filed by the NIA with a case related to RC–29/2022/NIA/DLI, the anti-terror agency, has said that Lingam was a key operative of the major LTTE leaders and cadres and drug traffickers, including Gunasekaran and his son Thilipan, both citizens of Sri Lanka.

Lingam is the 14th accused to be charge-sheeted in the case, in which 16 persons have been charged as the accused so far. Lingam has been charged with conspiring and acting to revive the proscribed terrorist organisation through illegal trade in narcotic drugs and arms. Lingam had also acted as an agent for the collection of hawala money obtained from the sale of narcotic drugs, which were being further distributed to promote LTTE activities.

In the supplementary chargesheet filed before the Special Court for NIA Cases and Sessions Court for exclusive trials of bomb blast cases at Poonamallee in Chennai by its Kochi branch, the agency has elaborated on the role of Lingam in the entire conspiracy.

The chargesheet revealed that the accused was working as a production executive in the Tamil Film Industry while he was clandestinely working as a key operative of the major LTTE leaders, cadres and drug traffickers. Earlier, on June 15, 2023, NIA had filed a chargesheet before the special court against 13 accused, charging them with hatching conspiracies in various parts of Tamil Nadu to carry out terrorist activities and drug trafficking in the territorial waters of the Indian Ocean.

One such case was registered and investigated by the NIA Kochi branch following the seizure of a huge consignment, intercepted by Indian agencies in 2021. The consignment consisted of over 300 kgs of heroin, five AK-47 Rifles and 1,000 rounds of Pak-made ammunition. Nine accused were also charge-sheeted in that case.