Tamil activist Balraj Rajkumar was subjected to prolonged questioning by the Counter-Terrorism and Investigation Department (CTID) in the Eastern Province. The activist was summoned to appear at the Trincomalee Regional Office on Thursday at 9 am, with no specific reason provided.
Upon arriving at the CTID office, Rajkumar was confronted with accusations of attempting to rebuild a banned organisation. In a Facebook post following the interrogation, he revealed that the primary charges against him included advocating for and supporting a prohibited group. Additionally, he was accused of orchestrating protests against the government and allegedly inciting gatherings against state authorities.
Rajkumar denied all allegations during his statement to the CTID and said he challenged the authorities to provide evidence supporting any of the claims made against him.
"The investigation took a long time. The main charge was that I continued to speak in support of a banned organisation and sought to revive it. They also accused me of constantly speaking against the government and inciting people to gather and protest against the government," Rajkumar stated.
He went on to mention that the accusations were attributed to the state's main security department. Rajkumar, known for his vocal opposition to the forcible acquisition of Tamil people's lands in the Eastern Province, has been an active advocate for the rights of the Tamil people.
"I denied their multiple allegations and I asked them to prove any of these allegations. They said they would send a submission to the Defence Ministry and inform them about it," Rajkumar revealed.
