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LTTE got arms from Lebanese nationals before Rajiv assassination: IB secret note

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam had received two consignments of arms and ammunition from two Lebanese nationals just over a month before Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991, according to a top secret note of the Intelligence Bureau.

The note, sent on April 24, 1991, by then joint director N V Vathsan to the IB director, identified the Lebanese nationals as Ibrahim, based in Cyprus, and Charles Obed.

Charles Obed, whose daughter was married to the son of an alleged gangster, Joseph of Beirut, was also to pay $ 200,000 to the LTTE, the note said.

''Joseph also deals in arms and is suspected to have connections with the Central Intelligence Agency'' of the United States, it said.

K Padmanathan, who was in charge of raising funds abroad for the LTTE, was in touch with these arms dealers and made purchases.

The LTTE ship Yelicia was scheduled to touch Tuticorin harbour on April 29. The other vessel, belonging to the group, Sunbird, was then in a Malaysian port, Kuching, according to the note.

The note and several other wireless messages of the LTTE intercepted by the IB have been published in a book Beyond the Tigers -- Tracking the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination to be released later this month.

The book has been authored by Rajeev Sharma who covered the proceedings of both the Jain and Verma commissions of inquiry and the CBI investigations in the case.

According to another note sent by Vathsan on September 11, 1990, to then additional director K Saranyan, Padmanathan alias 'KP' had sent a coded communication from Cyprus to LTTE chief V Prabhakaran, indicating that he would be in a position to spare one million dollars for buying arms and ammunition, provided the amount was returned within two months.

According to the KP's coded communication, sent on September 10, 1990, his 'friend' was willing to supply 'goods' as per the list of Prabhakaran.

KP had expressed hope that he could meet the LTTE chief soon with the 'goods.'

Prabhakaran sent a coded message to KP the same night (September 10, 1990) in which the emphasis was on the purchase of different types of optical accessories like 'Celestron' telescope, snipe sighter and Parallax adjusting rifle scopes.

UNI

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