Overview

• The special NIA court in Chennai approved two days of ED interrogation of Letchumanan Mary Franciska inside Puzhal Central Prison, with the session to be conducted within a week.
• The order permits ED officials to use laptops, a printer, and other electronic devices during the prison interview, while denying the agency physical custody.
• ED’s inquiry stems from an NIA case that alleges forged Indian IDs were used to access an inoperative account and move funds for a purported LTTE revival effort.
• Franciska has been in judicial custody since her interception at Chennai airport on 2 October 2021, and her interrogation earlier led to seven additional arrests by Tamil Nadu CID before the case moved to NIA.
• Investigators have identified a Denmark-based Sri Lankan Tamil named Umakanthan as the alleged main conspirator directing the operation, with related transactions routed through foreign accounts.