Two men were arrested and placed in custody since Sunday, in the investigation of the murder of one of the leaders in Paris of the former rebel separatist Tamil Tigers, said on Monday sources close to the investigation.

Both suspects were arrested and placed in custody at the Criminal Brigade of the Judicial Police of Paris in charge of this investigation. These same sources have cautioned the responsibility of suspects, “to be determined in the course of custody.”

Recently convicted terrorist financing

Nadarajah Mathinthiran, born in 1963 in Sri Lanka, was killed Thursday around 21:30 several 9mm bullets in the chest, groin and back as he left the local Tamil Coordinating Committee in France (CCTF), rue des Pyrenees, Paris (twentieth arrondissement).

He was recently convicted terrorist financing. He was one of the leaders in Paris Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Several sources said, shortly after the murder, that there was nothing to link it to the political commitment of the victim.

His supporters accuse Sri Lanka

A tribute to Nadarajah Mathinthiran gathered Monday afternoon 400 people, many of whom accused the Sri Lankan government of being behind the murder. The demonstrators gathered in a small square of the twentieth arrondissement, near the scene of drama, under heavy police protection. An altar draped in orange and red tissue has been installed, with candles and a picture of the victim overcome the word “Justice”. In the crowd, many men and women were in tears.

(An English Translation of a news Item appearing in French on MetroFrance.com )