Youth abducted in Kotahena

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 January 2008, 01:00 GMT]
A Tamil youth from Batticaloa district, a resident of Poaratheevu, recently captured from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by Sri Lanka Army (SLA), was abducted in Kotahena, Colombo on the 14 January by group of five men operating in a white van with license plate number 2534899, the relatives of the youth stated in a complaint lodged with P.Rathakrishnan, Deputy minister and an Upcountry United Front (UPF) parliamentarian.

The victim Alagaratnam Nirmalakanthan, 27, was abducted by a group of five men including a policeman in uniform, his relatives said.

Youth’s father, Alagaratnam, and brother-in-law, S.Paramalingam, have registered complaints at Kotahena police station, Human Rights Commission(HRC), and the Monitoring Commission for Investigation into Abductions and Disappearances, and International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).

Nirmalakanthan was living on College street, Kotahena, and was employed in a jewellery shop in Chetty street. He was making preparations to go abroad when he was abducted, the victim’s relatives said.

On the night of abduction, the victim was traveling from Wasala Road on a motor cycle at 8:30 p.m. with a friend to purchase provisions for Thaippongkal when a white van closely following them intercepted them on Hiniappuhamy Road and after threatening the driver of the motor cycle forcibly dragged the victim into the van and sped away, sources said.

”The escalation of threatening incidences of Tamils in Colombo, and abduction of youths by groups of uniformed officers and men in civil dress, have shocked the Tamil community. I have received complaints of four youths abducted in Kotahena this month," Rathakrishnan said.