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| Gopalaswamy Mahendraraja | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1956 Point Pedro, Ceylon |
| Died | 28 December 1994 (aged 37–38) Sri Lanka |
| Cause of death | Executed by the LTTE |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Other names | Mahattaya |
| Occupation | Tamil Militant |
| Known for | High treason Death of Col Kittu |
Gopalaswamy Mahendraraja (1956 – 28 December 1994), also known as Mahattaya was a member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who was killed for leaking secrets to India's RAW.
Personal life
Gopalaswamy Mahendraraja was related to Velupillai Prabhakaran, former LTTE leader. He was born in Point Pedro.
LTTE
Mahattaya joined the LTTE in 1978. In 1987 he became the deputy leader of the LTTE, and in 1989 he became the head of the short-lived People's Front of Liberation Tigers, a political party founded by the LTTE. Mahattaya was the person who was leading most of the attacks done by LTTE when Prabhakaran was in India until 1986. Mahattaya was sent to Jaffna by Prabhakaran to inquire into the conflict matters that arose between LTTE and the University of Jaffna, in 1986, when a university student Vijetharan was kidnapped and killed by the Kittu group. Prabhakaran returned to Jaffna at the end of 1986. Mahattaya was second-in-command in the LTTE, at one time.
Athira, accused 18 in Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case confessed that she was ordered to collect intelligence in Tamil Nadu and hand it over to Mahattaya. Several investigative journalists proposed that Mahattaya might be the main Conspirator in Rajiv Gandhi Assassination, possibly worked as a mercenary.
Velupillai Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman found out that he was leaking information to India's RAW, which helped the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) destroy LTTE bases. Mahattaya group was famous for doing all well planned attacks. In 1993, the LTTE took him into custody. He was executed on December 28, 1994, by the LTTE.
Further reading
- P. Jayaram (31 January 1994). "Sri Lanka: Mahattaya case exposes dissensions in the LTTE". India Today.
- B. Kolappan (29 November 2017). "A lieutenant who turned into a 'mole'". The Hindu.
- Gopal, Neena (2016). The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Penguin India. ISBN 9789386495549.
References
- ""My Husband Was Not a Traitor" Says Ex-LTTE Deputy Leader Gopalaswamy Mahendrarajah alias "Mahathaya"'s Wife Yogeshwari". Sulochana Ramiah Mohan. dbsjeyaraj. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- "Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 56". K T Rajasingham. Sangam. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- Kolappan, B. (29 November 2017). "A lieutenant who turned into a 'mole'". B. Kolappan. The Hindu. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- "Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 48 – Ilankai Tamil Sangam".
- Munasinghe, Sarath (2000). A Soldier's Version : An Account of the On-going Conflict and the Origin of Terrorism in Sri Lanka (1st ed.). Colombo: University of Michigan. p. 174. ISBN 9789559713005.
External links
- Asia Times
- "Former LTTE No. 2 Mahattaya was RAW Agent: Book". News18. 15 August 2016 – via IANS.
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- Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam members
- Sri Lankan Tamil rebels
- Sri Lankan Tamil people
- Assassinated Sri Lankan people
- 1956 births
- 1994 deaths
- People killed during the Sri Lankan civil war
- Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
- Research and Analysis Wing
- Indian Peace Keeping Force
- Sri Lankan spies
- Indian spies
- Espionage stubs