R. Senthil Velavar, the Editor-in-Chief of Sri Lanka’s state-run Tamil daily Thinakaran, was suspended by Lake House management this week over allegations of financial misconduct, according to sources within the institution.
The suspension follows an internal investigation into claims that Senthil Velavar misappropriated advertising revenue by personally collecting payments for advertisements but, instead of publishing the paid advertisements as contracted, allegedly replacing them with news content while retaining the funds outside official channels.
Sources further allege that, on certain occasions, he collaborated with a layout artist to produce fabricated newspaper pages featuring advertisements that were never published in the official print edition. These pages were reportedly presented to advertisers who were unlikely to independently verify publication, enabling the alleged misappropriation of associated payments.
Investigators reportedly estimate that approximately Rs. 6.5 million may have been fraudulently diverted within an eight-month period alone, while further inquiries are examining whether similar irregularities occurred over a longer timeframe.
Lake House, Sri Lanka’s state-owned media institution, is also expected to file a formal complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as the investigation progresses.
The suspension has sparked sharp reactions from sections of Sri Lanka’s Tamil literary and media communities, including prominent writer and journalist N. Saravanan, who publicly claimed that complaints supported by substantial evidence had been raised with authorities more than a year ago.
In a strongly worded social media statement, Saravanan alleged that Senthil Velavar’s tenure severely damaged the credibility of the national Tamil newspaper, accusing him of corruption, fostering a toxic newsroom culture, and using pressure, controversy, and institutional instability to shield himself from scrutiny.
He further alleged that certain literary and political figures had exploited their relationship with Senthil Velavar to gain disproportionate media exposure.
Saravanan described the suspension as long overdue and expressed hope that the move would provide relief to Thinakaran employees while ultimately benefiting its readership.
