ED To Question Sri Lankan Woman Lodged In Chennai Prison In LTTE-linked Terror Funding Case

A Special NIA in Chennai has allowed the Enforcement Directorate to examine a Sri Lankan woman, Mary Franciska Letchumanan, who was earlier arrested in a terror case of LTTE funding in 2022. Since 2021 Mary Franciska is lodged in Chennai's Puzhal Central Prison. The Chennai court passed an order on 17th September. ED has been allowed to examine Mary Franciska for two days in next seven days. ED case stems from the NIA FIR filed in LTTE terror funding case filed in 2022. "Mary Franciska Letchumanan was suspected of creating multiple Indian Identity documents and Indian passport by submitting forged documents, and using those fake documents to withdraw money from Indian Overseas Bank, Mumbai Fort Branch held in the name of Hamida A Lalljee for utilizing

it to further the activities of LTTE a proscribed organization as per Schedule 1 of the UA (P) Act, 1967," the Chennai court said in its order while allowing ED to question. In March 2022, NIA had filed the chargesheet against six including Letchumanan Franciska Mary in LTTE terror funding case. NIA filed the chargesheet against (1) Letchumanan Mary Franciska D/o Francis, r/o Chennai u/s 120B, 465, 467, 468, 471, 472 and 474 of IPC, sections 10, 13, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, sections 12(1)(b), 12(1A) (a) of the Passport Act, 1967 and section 14(a) of Foreigners Amendment Act, 2004 (2) Kenniston Fernando, M/58 S/o Thylasamy, r/o Tuticorin, T.N and (3) Baskaran, M/55, S/o Kanthasamy, r/o Chennai u/s 120B, 465, 468, 474 r/w 109 of IPC, section 10 of the UA (P) Act, 1967, (4) Johnson Samuvel, M/33 S/o Charlas, r/o Chennai (5) G. Dharmendran, M/40, S/o Gopal (Late), r/o Chennai u/s 120B, 465, 468 r/w 109 of IPC (6) E Mohan, M/64, S/o Elumalai (Late), r/o Chennai u/s 120B, 419, 465, 468, 471 r/w 109 of IPC NIA had taken over the investigations from the Q branch CID, Tamil Nadu. The original case pertained to a criminal conspiracy to revive the LTTE by committing forgery for cheating besides using forged documents as genuine to divert funds lodged in dormant accounts to commit unlawful and terror activities. "During investigation it was found that Letchumanan Mary Franciska, T. Kenniston Fernando and K. Baskaran entered into a conspiracy with foreign entities to siphon off deposits in dormant bank accounts by using Indian identity documents obtained fraudulently and forging identity documents to revive, revamp and regroup LTTE in India and Sri Lanka. They were abetted by Johnson Samuvel, Dharmendran and Mohan in forging Indian identity documents," NIA had said.