Kidnappers release Eastern Campus Dean

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 00:15 GMT]
The kidnapped Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Culture, Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL), Dr Bala Sugumar, was released by the kidnappers on Tuesday midnight in Batticaloa, near his home, after he was held captive for ten days, family sources said.

Unidentified gunmen, widely believed to be from Karuna group, came in a white van, kidnapped him on 30th September, Saturday night, while he was at his Uppodai home in Batticaloa. The kidnappers demanded the immediate resignation of the Vice Chancellor of EUSL, Dr. S. Ravindranath, for his release.

Even though Dr Ravindranath submitted his resignation the following day, 1st October, to the University Grants Commission (UGC) Bala Sugumar was not released until Tuesday.

Bala Sugumar told that he was returned home safely and vowed to join the academic activities of EUSL again to help the undergraduate students and for the benefit of the area people, family sources said.

Meanwhile, his wife Piramila Sugumar thanked everyone, including the media personnel, for their relentless campaign in getting her husband released.

The Senate of the EUSL, various Muslim Organizations in Eravur, and academics issued appeals to release Bala Sugumar on humanitarian grounds.