Velupillai Manoharan, elder brother of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, has shattered the illusion of his brother’s existence, declaring publicly for the first time to an Indian publication that Prabhakaran, his wife, and their three children died in the final stages of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009.

Speaking to the media, Manoharan revealed a scam taking place within the Tamil diaspora, preying on unsuspecting Tamils by promoting the false narrative of Prabhakaran’s continued existence.

Speaking after a public commemoration in Denmark, Manoharan exposed a recent deception where a young Tamil woman in the West falsely claimed to be Prabhakaran’s daughter, duping millions from the diaspora.

Claiming his duty to unveil the truth, Manoharan warned of the pervasiveness of such false narratives. Having left Sri Lanka in 1975, Manoharan refutes any association with the LTTE, despite his familial ties. Manoharan disclosed his regular communication with Prabhakaran until 2008, dispelling notions of his brother’s survival.

Despite the end of the armed struggle in 2009, certain factions continue to promote that Prabhakaran had escaped. Manoharan implicated two prominent Tamil diaspora organisations for orchestrating deceit and manipulating emotions and finances to extract funds under false pretences of aiding Prabhakaran’s family and the Tamil cause. He urged redirecting efforts towards supporting those affected by the war. (The Federal)