Residents catch paramilitary robbers in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 10:12 GMT]
Residents of Naavatkudaa area in Batticaloa district way laid and caught five members of the paramilitary Pillayaan group Tuesday around 8:00 p.m. as the paramilitary group was about to rob a house in the area, police said. Kanagaratnam Athiravan, one of the five caught, is the person in charge of Kalladi Pillayaan camp. The public got together and caught the robbers, who carried three T-56 type assault rifles with them, and handed the robbers with their rifles over to the Kaaththaankudi police.

The persons caught were identified as Samithamby Sahayarajan alias Sutha, 28, Junior Rozan alias Rozan, 18, Mahathevan Vinoth alias Kumaran, 32, Yogarasa Parthipan alias Thevan, 26 and Kanagaratnam Athiravan alias Sarankan, 24.

All five said they are members of Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) led by Pillayaan, staying at Kalladi Pi’l’laiyaan camp with the protection of the Sri Lankan forces.

The Pillayaan group has allegedly robbed more than 75 houses in the recent past in the Tamil areas in Naavatkudaa, Aaraiyampathi and Kalladi.