Mannar Bishop, Chief Immam visit Karisal

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 October 2004, 12:25 GMT]
The Bishop of Mannar and the chief Immam of the Mannar Mohideen Jumma Masjid Mosque Monday visted Karisal - the village of the man who was shot dead near Pesalai on Thursday night. The two religious leaders were accompanied by the chairman and secretary of the Mannar Citizens' Committee and the President of the Mohideen Jumma Mosque's board of trustees. Meanwhile, Police said that a parcel containing two kilograms of heroin worth 6 million rupees was disovered by the roadside Saturday near the place where the man from Karisal was shot dead.

Mr. Poojitha Jayasundara, Director of anti narcotics bureau of Sri Lanka Police headquarters was quoted in the press on Monday as saying that there appears to be a link between the parcel of heroin and the murder of the man from Karisal.

The Muslim coastal village is 12 kilometres from Mannar.

Several community leaders of Karisal with whom the delegation led by the the Bishop and the Immam held discussions said that they and their people want to live peacefully and amicably with the Tamils and the Liberation Tigers in Mannar.

The bishop of Mannar urged the people of Karisal not to be instigated by antisocial elements that are trying to sow communal strife in Mannar. He said that if the people of Karisal had any grievances they could be addressed peacefully.