News
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Plotting
the killing of Plote Mohan
Siva was told to offer up to Rs. five million for the photograph of one of the most 'wanted men' by the LTTE. He approached close relatives including Plote Mohan's sister for the photograph assuming they would be attracted by the monetary offer. He told them he had heard so much about Plote Mohan he wanted to see a photograph of him. In those past six months 'Siva' became a frequent visitor of Plote Mohan's family in Kothiyapallai. But they said they didn't have a recent photograph of him. But a determined Siva did not give up and he next tapped Plote Mohan's brother. He approached him on the pretext of getting Plote Mohan to use his influence to gain a licence to sell beer in his village. The modus operandi worked and soon Siva was in direct telephone contact with Plote Mohan. As the friendship grew, the unsuspecting Plote Mohan invited Siva to meet him in Colombo. According to Plote Mohan's family the two had met on a couple of occasions, significantly most of them opposite the popular House of Fashion, where Plote Mohan was gunned down last Saturday. As the trust and friendship grew between the two, Siva kept on passing information to the LTTE whose first task was to identify Plote Mohan who had fled Batticaloa more than 15 years ago. Plote Mohan his wife Akila and 13 year old daughter were living in a high security area in Nugegoda, where influential people including a former UNF minister and current UPFA deputy minister also resided. Akila is convinced that it was Siva who had led the LTTE to her husband. "Siva was a regular caller and asked our help. We never suspected him because he was close to the family," she said. After the broad daylight gunning down last Saturday, Colombo Crime Division led by Senior Superintendent of Police, D.S.Lugoda, has unearthed more information about 'Siva'. According SSP Lugoda, Siva had left Batticaloa for the final mission on July 29 and stayed at 'Hotel Imperial' along Duplication road. He had stayed here on two previous occassions. The following day he had phoned Plote Mohan and told him to meet him at the regular meeting point - opposite the House of Fashion. "Last Saturday he got down the regular threewheeler he uses and told me he was going to meet Siva. He told me not to cook as he would be bringing lunch," Akila said. "Around 12 noon my former landlady came in the same three-wheeler that my husband had left in and told me that my husband had fallen ill and was in hospital. I did not believe her as my husband was hale and hearty." However it was not to hospital that Akila was taken to but to the scene of the shooting where she identified her husband's body. Akila claimed that her husband had been working closely with army intelligence units for the past 15 years and was drawing a regular allowance of Rs. 10,000 from the army. "There were times when my husband was unable to go and collect the money that I would go instead and sign and take the money on his behalf," she said. Akila lamented that none of the army personnel whom her husband had helped had come to pay their last respects to him. She claimed that her husband had even used his influence to get some police and army officers promoted. Plote Mohan was a dreaded enemy of the LTTE as he had passed on vital information about LTTE movements to the army leading to the detection of about 21 suicide bombers with the suicide kits. SSP Lugoda said according to investigations, Plote Mohan had finalised matters regarding getting the beer license for 'Siva' last Saturday. Plote Mohan had picked up 'Siva' on that fateful day, from hotel Imperial and then gone to Bambalapiitya where they met a Tamil businessman to transfer the licence to Siva. On their return Siva had got himself dropped before they got to hotel Imperial. After dropping Siva Plote Mohan was heading home when he received a telephone call close to House of Fashion prompting him to tell the driver to stop the three-wheeler. Within minutes of getting off from the three-wheeler, Siva was gunned down by the assassins who were waiting in ambush in a van. Police have traced the vehicle number and searched the room in which Siva was staying where they found two mobile phones and a diary. Soon after, Batticaloa police had been alerted to search Siva's home in Batticaloa but they found it abandoned.
Who is he? He joined the PLOTE, in 1985 October and was sent immediately for militaty training to Tamil Nadu.On his return he was entrusted to be in charge of the PLOTE’s Periyathampani camp. He subsequently left the PLOTE and escaped to Batticaloa, where he was associated with the TELO group for a short period. He also helped the Indian army by providing information about the LTTE. He has been accused of a series of killings including that of Rev. Chandra Fernando a campaigner of human rights and President of the Batticaloa’s citizens' committe. In the early 1990s he was accused of killing 'Khalid', a PLO- trained senior commander of the Tamil National Army (TNA).After the Indian army left he helped the Sri Lanka Army intelligence, while operating from Batticaloa. He was also accused of having a hand in the killing of several civilians living in the Vantharamullai university refugee camp in the East. A Special Presidential Commission headed by a retired supreme court judge Palakidnar, identified Plote Mohan as one of those responsible for the massacre. Subsequently he moved from Batticaloa to Colombo and continued to help the army until he was gunned down last Saturday. |
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