Batticaloa youth shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 April 2004, 09:51 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a youth and wounded another in Maligawatte, a congested suburb near downtown Colombo, Monday night around 10 p.m. Police said. The youth are from Batticaloa, according to Police sources. The gunmen who shot the youth while they were negotiating an apartment for rent in Maligawatte got away. No arrests have been made in connection with the killing, the sources said.

The wounded youth, identified only as ‘Mathanarooban’ was admitted to the Colombo general hospital. He has been placed under heavy guard, hospital sources said.

The youth who was shot dead has not been identified.

The youth appear to be from the town of Eravur, 10 kilometres north of Batticaloa, according to initial investigations, Police sources in Maligawatte said.

Both are suspected to be members of the Liberation Tigers, according to them. Police said they are investigating whether the two young men were associated with renegade LTTE commander ‘Karuna’.