Fisherman shot and hacked to death in Valaichchenai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 August 2006, 22:10 GMT]
A Tamil civilian Periyathamby Veluppillai, 27, a fisherman by profession and a father of two children of Kalmadu in Valaichchenai police area, was shot and hacked to death by soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and paramilitaries on Tuesday night around 8.00 p.m at Koraweli Road, Kannahipuram in Batticaloa district. He had been residing in 50 Housing Scheme in Kalmadu.

He took refuge in a neighbouring house when unidentified gunmen tried to abduct him from his home. He was shot in the leg as he was trying to escape. Gunmen thereafter conducted a search operation in the area with the help of SLA and took him out of a house where he was hiding. But gunmen had fired indiscriminately at him and chopped his head and face with axe and knives despite plea by occupants of the house not to shoot him as there were children inside, sources further said.

His body was taken to the Valaichchenai Base Hospital for post mortem. The reason behind this killing was not known.

Valaichchenai is located 30 km north of Batticaloa.