Armed men abduct three bus drivers in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 January 2008, 20:26 GMT]
Three bus drivers of Batticaloa district Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) were abducted Sunday morning in Iruthayapuram in Batticaloa district by unidentified armed men operating in a white van, sources said.

Two of the abducted were forced out of the vehicle they were operating while the third driver was abducted from his residence, according to complaints lodged by the victim’s relatives at Batticaloa police station.

All three victims are from Ithayapuram, and have been identified as Alagesh Theivendiran, 43, Karthigesu Chelliah, 32, and V.Thanapalan, 32.

Following the abduction, all employees of Batticaloa district SLTB staged a strike crippling the government transport services throughout the district.

The employees have vowed to continue their strike indefinitely until their colleagues are released, spokesperson for the striking employees said.

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