Sri Lankan Tamil arrested in islet off Dhanushkodi

Dhanushkodi police have arrested a Sri Lankan Tamil when he clandestinely landed in an islet off Dhanushkodi, The Hindu newspaper reported.

A police party which was on routine patrolling found Sri Lankan Tamil, identified as M. Duke Prithiviraj (36), walking towards the shore and arrested him. Prithiviraj, a native of Pesalai in Mannar district, had left Mannar around 3 p.m. on Thursday after engaging a fibre boat, paying 60,000 Sri Lankan rupees and reached the fifth islet off Dhanushkodi around 9 p.m. Two boatmen returned after dropping him, the police said.

After waiting for an hour in the islet, he was walking towards the shore at Palam when the police arrested him.

He was arrested under Section 4 of the Foreigners Act, read with Section 3 (a) and 6 (a) of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950. He was produced before the local magistrate court and taken to Chennai to be lodged in Puzhal Central Prison, the police said.

Q Branch Inspector of Police R. Kennedy said the Lankan Tamil, who was living separately pending a divorce case, had visited Madurai in 2014 with his two children. After reaching Madipakkam in Chennai, he went to Australia along with 140 Lankan Tamils.

As the children started asking for the mother, he returned to Mannar, Mr. Kennedy said, adding he had no links with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Presently, he was facing five cases, including an accident case and cheating case. He decided to flee after courts summoned him to appear for trial.

His friend in Chennai, Ruban, had suggested that he could register as a refugee and live outside refugee camps, he told the police.