Talking to newsmen outside the Chennai Central Prison after being released, he alleged that the funds had been provided from many sources, including from a godman.

Claiming that he was ``forced'' to harbour the One-eyed Jack aka Sivarasan, and his associate Subha, in Bangalore, Renganath claimed that he had also knowledge of how Sivarasan had brought the weapons into Tamil Nadu and was ready to provide the information to the MDMA.

While Sivarasan had committed suicide by shooting himself and consuming cyanide, Subha also consumed cyanide.

They took the step when police were about to close in on them. He claimed that he was also in the know of how One-eyed Jack had made his way to Sriperumbudur on May 21 when the bomb strapped to suicide bomber Dhanu exploded, killing Rajiv Gandhi and some others on the spot.

The MDMA, set up from within the CBI, was constituted by the Centre following the recommendation by the Jain Commission for a further probe into certain aspects of the assassination.

Renganath alleged that the case was foisted on him by D R Karthikeyan, a former CBI director who led the Special Investigation Team to probe the assassination, only because he had provided the information and named certain persons.

Sundaram, another of the acquitted, said he owed his acquittal to some persons who had formed a committee to raise funds to meet the expenses for challenging the death penalty in the Supreme Court awarded to 26 persons, including five women, by the trial judge on January 28, 1998.

Stating that the accused were ``stunned'' when the judge awarded capital punishment to all, Sundaram said they were all wondering what would be their fate. Things changed after the leader of a Tamil national movement, a pro-LTTE organisation, P Nedumaran, came to their aid. He was also instrumental in forming the committee.

While Renganath and Sundaram, both Indian nationals, were set free this evening from the Chennai Central Prison, following the Apex Court's verdict acquitting 19 persons in the assassination case yesterday, five others -- all Sri Lankan Tamils -- who were also among the acquitted, were whisked away from jail under heavy security, to a special camp in Vellore which houses LTTE supporters.