Chandrasekaran, MP released

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2000, 16:41 GMT]
Mr.P.Chandrasekaran, Leader of the Upcountry People's Front and UNP parliamentarian, was released by the Colombo court around 5 p.m. Monday. The police said he was arrested for his involvement in orchestrating demonstrations in the plantation areas of the Nuwara Eliya district, condemning the Bandarawela massacre.

Chandrasekaran was arrested at his Talawakele residence in the hill country by a combined Police-Army team on 30 October.

CID officials told the court that they have finished their investigations and did not object to the MP's release.

A spokesman for the UPF said that Mr.Chandrasekaran was taken by the Police on the pretext that he was wanted by the Superintendent of Police to record a statement.

The United National Party had demanded that Mr.Chandrasekaran be released immediately and stated if this did not occur, it would take legal action.