2ND LEAD (CORRECTION, UPDATE)

Sajitharan released, family transported to Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 November 2007, 13:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on Monday, after the budget voting, secured the release of S. Sajitharan, the son-in-law of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Batticaloa district, who had been abducted by the paramilitary Pillayaan Group. Mr. Sajitharan and the remaining members of the family of the TNA parliamentarian T. Kangasabai were transported from Batticaloa to Colombo and handed over to the MP, according to the TNA sources in Colombo. Mr. Kanagasabai, warned by the paramilitary operative Pillayaan not to vote against the budget, was not present in the parliament during the final voting on Sri Lankan budget Monday.

Mr. Sajitharan contacted the MP over the phone, after the budget voting, and informed the MP that he was safe, TNA sources in Colombo had told media Monday night.

The victim had been kept at Thaamaraikkea'ni camp of the paramilitary group.

Three of four Batticaloa district TNA parliamentarians defied threats by the paramilitary group that had warned them not to vote against the budget amid withdrawal of the police security provided to their residences in Batticaloa on Sunday.

Chronology: