Colombo: A Sri Lankan Tamil politician and an ex-minister has been detained for questioning by the police after a weapon issued to him was found in possession of a criminal.

Douglas Devananda, who has been declared a proclaimed offender by a Chennai court in 1996 in the case relating to a shootout at Choolaimedu in 1986, was detained by the crime investigation department of police on Friday through a court order, police said.

He was detained for questioning after a firearm officially issued to him was found in the possession of a noted underworld figure.

The criminal was extradited from Dubai in 2020 and was later killed in a shootout with the police.

Devananda, an ex-Tamil militant and the leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) has held many ministerial positions from 1994 until 2024.