Two shops looted, set on fire in Ka'ruvaakkeani

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2008, 12:56 GMT]
Unidentified armed men looted the entire contents of two shops Wednesday night 10:00 p.m.in Ka'ruvaakkeani within Vaazhaichcheanai police division in Batticaloa district before setting them ablaze, sources said.

A cultural program was in progress Wednesday night in Kalaivaani stadium in PuthukkudiyirIppu, Vaazhaichcheanai, and the owners of the two stores one a Compact Disc (CD) sales centre and the other a restaurant had gone to watch the show.

Lazar Thavasuthan, the owner of “Suha Communication Centre” speaking to TamilNet said the theives stole three computers, 500 CDs and furniture from his business, and after that the robbers had set fire to his store, resulting in a loss of Rs.420,000.

The owner of Chowmiya restaurant, the other victim said all the food materials stored within the premises have been robbed and the remaining items were set on fire causing a loss of Rs.450,000.

Both owners have lodged complaints at Vaazhaichcheanai police, a spokesman from the police station said.

The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) troops at a check point located 30 feet from the affected stores informed the occupants of a nearby house of the robbery, local sources said.

Vaazhaichcheanai Police station is located 500 metres North of one of the looted stores.

Vaazhaichcheanai is located 32 km North of Batticaloa.