Panagoda Maheswaran

Panagoda Maheswaran (born 1955 as Thambapillai Maheswaran) is a Sri Lankan Tamil militant who founded and led the Tamil Eelam Army. [cite book |title=IDSA News Review on South Asia/Indian Ocean |author=Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses |year=1988 |publisher=Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses |pages=p. 177 |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KFg8AAAAMAAJ&q=%22Panagoda+Maheswaran%22+OR+%22Thambapillai+Maheswaran%22&dq=%22Panagoda+Maheswaran%22+OR+%22Thambapillai+Maheswaran%22&num=100&pgis=1 |accessdate=2008-06-20] He studied chemical engineering from the University of London and was an expert in explosives. [cite news |title=The Jain Commission Report |url=http://www.india-today.com/jain/vol5/chap17.html |work=India Today |date= |accessdate=2008-06-20 ] His name "Panagoda" came as he was jailed in Panagoda Cantonment in the outskirts of Colombo, from where he made an audacious escape.cite news |title=SRI LANKA: THE UNTOLD STORY |url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DC16Df02.html |work=Asia Times |date=2002-03-16 |accessdate=2008-06-20 ] He attempted to blow up an Air Lanka aircraft in 1984.

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