India, Lanka enhance anti-terror cooperation

India and Sri Lanka took a step closer on the fight against criminals and terrorists after two alleged killers of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, Advisor to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, were tracked down by Indian agencies and deported to Colombo from Mumbai on Thursday.

Premachandra was gunned down on October 8 at Angoda during an election for local bodies. Top Indian Government sources said after New Delhi's help was sought by Colombo through diplomatic channels, the agencies acted swiftly and apprehended the alleged killers in Mumbai. They had arrived in the city on October 9.

The security agencies closed in on the culprits on October 11 and kept them under watch. Later, their Indian visas were cancelled, which paved the way for their arrests on grounds of travelling without valid visas. Chaminda Ravi Jayanath (32) and Mohammed Sarfarar Sibly (28) were handed over to police.

They were sent to Colombo on a Jet Airways flight at 2.10 am on Thursday. Police found two Sri Lankan passports in Jayanath's possession. Hindustan Times