Ex-owner of communication center shot dead in Kayts

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 12:34 GMT]
Four unidentified armed men forcibly entered the house of a 62-year-old former owner of a Communication Centre in Thampaaddi in Naaranthanai north in the islets of Jaffna Friday around 8:30 p.m and sprayed bullets on him at point blank range, killing him on the spot, sources in Oorkaavatturai (Kayts) said.

The victim was identified as Rathinam Vadivel, 62, the father of two children and a resident of Thampanai in Naaranthanai north in Oorkaavatturai in the islets of Jaffna.

Vadivel had closed down his Communication Centre, that was located in his village, last year in fear of being revenged for having taken part in the said shut down.

Five owners in Naaranthanai, Veala'nai and in other parts of Jaffna islets have been killed after the May 2006 Allaippiddi massacres in a series of killings targeting owners of Communication Centres.

The owners of Communication Centres earned the ire of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) for observing hartal on May 2006 protesting against the killing of thirteen people in Allaippiddi including eight in a single family allegedly by SLN and collaborating paramilitaries.

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