Rajiv murder suspect detained in Bangkok, CBI yet to confirm

New Delhi, Sept 11 (UNI) The CBI today refused to verify reports of the alleged detention of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's murder suspect in Bangkok.

A senior CBI official said the agency would be writing to the Thailand government on the issue and would get information on it ''soon''.

''We have sought cooperation of the Interpol in Thailand to verify news of the reported detention of suspect Padmanathan in Bangkok today,'' said CBI spokesman G Mohanty.

''We have also asked the Indian mission in Bangkok to check the veracity of the reported detention of Padmanathan, who is one of the strong suspects in the murder of the former PM,'' he added.

The Jain Commission of enquiry had made certain pointers to his involvement in the conspiracy and sought further investigations on it, Mr Mohanty said.

Earlier, reports said that Padmanathan, reportedly a key element in the alleged supply of logistics used in the blast that killed Rajiv Gandhi, and several others, had been detained by the Bangkok Police.

Padmanathan had fled India five days after Rajiv Gandhi's murder on May 21, 1990, he informed, adding that the accused was involved in shipping trade and had several business interests in Malaysia and acted as an arms supplier to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Said to be ''very close'' to LTTE chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran, Padmanathan was one of the prominent fund raisers of the guerilla outfit.

UNI