Nandagopal, brother-in-law of LTTE’s political chief S.P. Thamilselvan, was deported from Canada to Sri Lanka on December 6th, according to relatives in Canada, the Lanka academy reported yesterday.

The report said: "Nandagopal, who goes by the name Gopu was a well-known figure in the World Tamil Movement in Canada, and was poised to be its leader after the current leader Manual Mariyathas steps down at the end of this year. Gopu was unpopular among the WTM figures, as he tried to exert influence on WTM leaders using his family connections to the LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi. As one WTM volunteer told this correspondent "no one in WTM is shedding any tears over Gopu’s deportation".

Mr. Nandagopal came to Canada on a student visa in 1995, and was a student at the Carleton University in Ottawa. He dropped out of school, and moved to Toronto and worked for the WTM , as a full-time salaried employee. He moved up the ranks at WTM, as Thamilselvan moved up the ranks in LTTE. he claimed refugee status in Canada, after his student visa expired. However, his claims and appeals were rejected by the Canadian authorities.

Mr. Nandagopal was summoned to the Canadian Immigration office on December 3rd, and detained, and was put on a flight to Sri Lanka on december 6th, according to sources close to the WTM in Toronto. WTM planned to organize a rally in Torotno to protest the detention and deportation of Gopu, but it fizzled out since not many in the WTM were not supportive of Gopu, and the public in Toronto are also becoming wary of LTTE.

Nandagopal’s sister is married to Thamilselvan".