Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala yesterday (10 April) contradicted the police media unit’s explanation regarding the arrest of Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pilleyan, stating he was taken into custody over alleged links to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. He was speaking in Parliament.

Police had earlier claimed the arrest was related to an 18-year-old abduction case.

Chandrakanthan, leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) on 8 April and is being held for 72 hours.

He provided a statement to the CID earlier, following allegations by Hanzeer Azad Maulana—former spokesperson for TMVP—in a UK Channel 4 documentary, accusing the former MP of facilitating a meeting between a senior military intelligence officer and detained Muslim extremists at Batticaloa Prison.