Indian spy chief in Sri Lanka had been expelled before the elections

Sri Lanka expelled the Colombo station chief of India's spy agency in the run-up to this month's presidential election, political and intelligence sources said, accusing him of helping the opposition oust then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The claims that a New Delhi spy even helped convince new President Maithripala Sirisena to quit Rajapaksa's cabinet and run against him in the January 8 election may shed some light on the speed with which Sirisena is apparently attempting to swing Sri Lanka out of China's orbit and back into that of India.

An Indian foreign ministry spokesman denied any expulsion had taken place and said transfers were routine decisions. Rajapaksa said he did not know all the facts, while the new government in Colombo has said it cannot confirm the reports.

But several sources in both Colombo and New Delhi said India was asked to recall the agent last month for helping gather support for Sirisena after persuading him to resign from Rajapaksa's cabinet.

Rajapaksa's unexpected defeat after two terms in office coincided with growing concern in India that it was losing influence in Sri Lanka because of a tilt towards regional rival China.

The concern turned to alarm late last year when Rajapaksa allowed two Chinese submarines to dock in Sri Lanka without warning New Delhi as he should have under a standing agreement, the sources said.

"The turning point in the relationship was the submarines. There was real anger," an Indian security official said.