Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon reiterated India’s request for the extradition of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran when he met Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Friday.
The matter was first raised by Mr. Bogollagama who said he had been inundated with questions from the media about a possible extradition of Mr. Prabhakaran as the army closed in on the LTTE leader’s hideout.
Mr. Menon said India had been making almost annual requests for the extradition of Mr. Prabhakaran who has been convicted, in absentia, for the killing of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Mr. Bogollagama responded that in the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries, the request would be considered in the light of the existing legal framework but a formal process could only start if the LTTE leader was captured alive.
“There are some who feel he should be held here, so we have to consider that as well,” the Foreign Minister told The Sunday Times. | 
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