Psychiatric evaluation ordered for accused SLA soldiers in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 July 2006, 00:53 GMT]
Jaffna District Magistrate, E. T. Vignarajah, Monday, ordered psychiatric assessment for the three Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers accused of threatening Jaffna Additional Magistrate Ms. Srinithi Nanthisekaran with death, to asses their mental status, after police officers at courts expressed doubts over the mental stability of the soldiers, legal sources in Jaffna said.

The magistrate also directed the Jaffna SLA commander to take steps to identify soldiers deployed in Jaffna district, with any mental afflictions through surveys conducted by medical experts, and to appropriately deal with any affected soldiers, based on their medical assessment, legal sources said.

Military Police Officers told courts that disciplinary action has been taken against the three accused solders by suspending any promotions for them.

The Jaffna Commander Maj. Gen. A Chandrasiri sent to courts a report in Sinhala stating that as instructed by the Magistrate on 4 July, the three accused SL Army soldiers have been transferred to other positions where they will not come into contact with the public. The SLA has conducted surveys to bring to focus any members of the armed forces with mental instability, the report further said, according to legal sources.

The Jaffna District Magistrate pointed out to the Major General that the language of courts in North and East is Tamil, and warned that if any report is submitted to the courts in Sinhala in future, he will reject the report, said legal sources.

Magistrate, E. T. Vignarajah, set the next hearing for 25 August.