Panagoda Maheswaran (born 1955 as Thambapillai Maheswaran) is a Sri Lankan Tamil militant who founded and led the Tamil Eelam Army.[1] He studied chemical engineering from the University of London and was an expert in explosives.[2] His name Panagoda came as he was jailed in Panagoda Cantonment in the outskirts of Colombo, whence he made an audacious escape.[3] He attempted to blow up an Air Lanka aircraft in 1984.[3]