2ND LEAD

Grenade explodes in Batticaloa prison, EPDP members wounded

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 03:31 GMT]
Seven EPDP persons were seriously wounded and rushed to Batticaloa hospital after a hand-grenade explosion inside their cell in the Batticaloa Prison Friday morning around 5:00 a.m., Police said.

The seriously injured EPDP persons are Eelamaran Ravi, 33, V. Sekar, 42, Uthayakumar, 19, Patheep, 28 and Viji, 28.

The above EPDP persons were arrested and detained on suspicion of involvement in the abduction and killing of Thevathas Sureshkumar, a trader, in Chengkaladi recently.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the police launched an intensive search operation following the explosion.

The injured men in the hospital are in police protection.

Media persons were not allowed to photograph the cell where the explosion took place.

Tension prevailed in Batticaloa town after the explosion in the prison and a large number of SLA soldiers and policemen were deployed in the town area.

The prison, located in a High Security area, is guarded by the Police and the Sri Lanka Army.

Police, led by Inspector S. D. Vikramasinghe of Batticaloa Police Head Office are investigating into the case

The EPDP has been opposed by the TMVP in Batticaloa district.