Mayor of Jaffna Municipal Council, Vishvalingam Manivannan has been arrested by Jaffna Police this morning (April 09) for allegedly aiding to propagate the now-defunct separatist group LTTE.
According to Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana, Manivannan had deployed five workers of Jaffna Municipal Council wearing uniforms similar to that of LTTE ‘police.’
Probes into the incident had revealed that the five individuals in question were deployed by the Jaffna Municipal Council after recruiting them on a temporary basis, DIG Rohana added.
A special investigation was launched into the incident upon the directives of Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara, the police spokesperson stated.
Accordingly, statements pertaining to the incident have been recorded from the Jaffna Municipal Commissioner and several others.
The investigations will be carried out under the provisions of Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
The 37-year-old arrestee is expected to be handed over to the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID), DIG Rohana added.
Manivannan, who is a member of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), was appointed as the mayor of Jaffna Municipal Council in December last year.
