SLN soldiers falsely implicate Mannar fisherman

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 June 2006, 15:59 GMT]
Mr.Anthony Balashankar, 35, Tamil fisherman and a father of five children, was arrested Thursday evening by the Sri Lanka Navy falsely implicating him that he was in possession of a grenade. The fisherman was produced in Mannar court Friday evening on a report that he was carrying a grenade with him at the time of arrest by the SLN soldiers. Additional Magistrate Mr.T.J.Pirapaharan remanded him till July 28, legal sources said.

SLN soldiers handed the suspect to the Police with a grenade.

The suspect in a statement to the Police said he was stopped and questioned by the SLN soldiers when he was in Murunkan selling fish. He was allowed to go after investigation. Few minutes later the SLN soldiers called him back and took him to a side and forced a grenade in his hand and told him that he was under arrest him for possessing a grenade. He was thereafter handed over to the Police with a grenade. The suspect said he was not in a possession of a grenade until it was forced on him by SLN soldiers, sources said.

The suspect fisherman with his family was earlier residing in Sirukandal, a fishing hamlet located close to Silavathurai. The entire village was displaced when the SLN established a camp in Sirukandal. He has shifted his residence to Madukarai village. But the rest have sought refuge in Pariharikandal village for safety, sources said.