2ND LEAD (CORRECTION)

Pungkudutheevu body identified as belonging to Fr.Brown

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 May 2007, 12:01 GMT]
DNA testing completed at the Ragama General Hospital in Colombo has confirmed that the mutilated torso found at Pungkudutheevu sea on 14 March 2007 packed in a military sand bag, belonged to the disappeared Catholic priest Rev. Fr. Jim Brown, independent, unofficial hospital sources said Thursday. Earlier the Medical legal officer at the hospital had confirmed that blood samples from Fr Brown's parents and remains of Fr Brown's body parts were received by the hospital and the hospital would soon be completing the DNA identification.

Official confirmation will be released only after the hospital informs the Kayts Court Judge on their findings, legal sources in Jaffna said.

Rev.Fr. Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown, 34, Parish Priest of Allaippiddi and his aide Wenceslaus Vincent Vimalan, 38, disappeared on 20 August 2006 after being interrogated by the Sri Lanka Army at Ma'ndaitheevu checkpoint.

The Catholic clergy and Jaffna residents organized several protest actions urging the SLA to release information on the disappearance.

The special envoy to the Pope too visited Jaffna in this regard.

Extra effort taken by the killers to ensure that the murdered body remained at the bottom of the ocean have aroused suspicion that the body belongs to a VIP.

Chronology:


External Links:

Amnesty:

Reverend Fr. Thiruchchelvan Nihal Jim Brown