The Indian government has issued orders to deport three Lankan refugees, Eela Nehru, Senthuran and ‘Italia’ Rajan alias Sundarajan, from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka. The three refugees are planning to engage well-known activists-lawyers in Chennai to stop the Centre’s move.
Eela Nehru, who is lodged in Tiruchy central prison, told Deccan Chronicle over phone that a revenue official from Chengalpet had called him in the morning and informed him about the deportation.
Senthuran is settled in Tambaram after he was released from the Chengalpet camp earlier. Italia Rajan is currently serving his term in Puzhal central prison, following conviction in a case involving illegal immigration of refugees to Australia.
All three refugees have cases against them in Sri Lanka. Senthuran in particular is wanted for procuring supplies for the LTTE during the civil war. Nehru, along with Deepan, Ilankainathan, Pattu and Selvarajan was shifted to the Tiruchy prison from Chengalpet mid June. The orders were sent to Chengalpet which explains, that the deportation process was started long ago.
The refugees awaiting deportation suspect that their involvement in pro-Eelam protests by students and other Tamil groups has done them in.
“A revenue official from Chengalpet called me this morning and asked me to send a passport size photograph and a copy of my birth certificate immediately. When I asked why, he revealed that orders have been received from GoI to deport me and two others to Sri Lanka,” Eela Nehru, who is lodged in Tiruchy central prison, told Deccan Chronicle over phone.
“I came here, trusting the Tamil people. I was booked for fraud (section 420 IPC) for cheating someone of Rs 1 lakh. They have not even tried the case for a year. But now they are trying to deporting me for working with Tamils to save my brothers and sisters in Eelam,” a visibly upset Nehru told Deccan Chronicle before he broke down.
