Former LTTE Cadre Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Possession of Explosives and Micro Pistols

In a significant development, the Colombo High Court has sentenced a former cadre of the now-defunct separatist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), to rigorous life imprisonment. Thangavelu Nimalan, the accused, was found guilty of possessing explosives and micro pistols with the intention of carrying out a suicide bomb attack in the Colombo area.

The charges against Nimalan, filed by the Attorney General, involved the possession of two micro pistols, 1.5 kilograms of C-4 high explosives, and live ammunition in the Ratmalana area back in 2009. After an extensive hearing of the case, Judge Damith Thotawatta of the Colombo High Court declared that the prosecution had proven the charges against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt.