LTTE Leader’s Father Passes Away

Thiruvenkadam Velupillai, father of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran died last night, (January 06) after a brief illness.

The 86-year-old Velupillai, along with his wife Parupathipillai, has been living under military protection at the Panagoda Army cantonment , ever since the defeat of the LTTE in May last year. The government has maintained that they had been kept in good conditions.

"He was suffering from paralysis and arrangements were made for him to seek treatment from the national hospital on several occasions," said military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.

He was attended to by Colombo national hospital doctors frequently as his health had been deteriorating while being living in the Panagoda Army cantonment.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that Velupillai died after a brief illness and also confirmed that it was a natural death.

Prabhakaran's father served in the Sri Lankan government for 39 years, beginning his career as a clerk at the Ceylon Government Railways in 1943 and had also received several promotions and retired as a Land Officer of the Land Settlement Department in 1982.

Prabhakaran's father married Vallipuram Parupathipillai (born on August 7, 1931) and had two sons and a daughter.

He is survived by his wife Parupathipillai, a son and daughter living in Denmark and a daughter in Canada.

- Asian Tribune -