May 13, Colombo: Batticaloa District Parliamentarian Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, who was sworn in last month as the State Minister of Rural Road Development has fled the country, local media reports say.

It is reported that Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan has fled to Malaysia in a rented boat.

According to Tamil political parties, Pillayan intends to travel to an European country from Malaysia and has requested acquaintances in three European countries to provide him with facilities.

The former Eastern Province Chief Minister was in remand custody over the killing of former Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham. He was acquitted of all charges recently and later given a ministerial portfolio by the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.