After police in Tamil Nadu found a vehicle carrying a huge quantity of explosives meant for Sri Lanka, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today ordered officials to ascertain whether any business house was exporting explosives without the Centre's knowledge.
A Sri Lankan Government request for supplying the explosives, dated October 10, 2005, was carried by the vehicle's driver Ravi Verma, PTI said. According to the papers, the consignee for the explosives was a Sri Lanka naval base in Colombo.
Karunanidhi, who is presently in New Delhi, issued the probe order to the police after Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony denied that the Centre had allowed the export of explosives to Sri Lanka.
Both promised Karunanidhi that an inquiry would be ordered into any such exports, PTI reported, quoting an official press release said.
The Chief Minister took up the matter with the Ministers after reports that explosives were being sent to Sri Lanka despite Delhi’s declaration of a freeze on arms supplies to the Colombo regime.
A report from Madurai had said that the police had on Thursday found a vehicle carrying 40 cartons of explosives from Nagpur to Sri Lanka and escorted it up to the port city of Tuticorin.
Police said the explosives, including detonators, were worth Indian Rs 400,000.
According to the papers, the consignee for the explosives was Rakshama-Valsara Naval Base Explosives Godown in Colombo.
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