2ND LEAD (Correction)

3 Sinhala ‘intruders’ reported missing in Muslim town in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 August 2011, 16:09 GMT]
A combined search operation has been launched by the Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Police to trace three Sinhalese persons who are reported to be missing in Muslim dominated Kaathankudy in Batticaloa district during disturbances over the ‘grease devil’ scare. The disappearance of three persons suspected to be ‘grease devils’ is alleged to have taken place in Paalamunai village Friday night when they fled and sought refuge in a police station located in Karbala village. Thereafter SL police personnel and SLA soldiers had rushed to the area and attacked youths who were passing through Beach Road and Goodwin Junction and also damaged houses, shops, and vehicles.

Meanwhile, some sources in the Muslim town has claimed that three mysterious persons suspected to be ‘grease devils’ who came to attack women in the village were held hostage by villagers.

The intruders were said to be persons conversing in Sinhala. The same sources added that the attackers would only be handed over the SL authority for legal action after the Ramadan festival is over on August 31.

Mosque authorities in Kaaththaankudi, through public address systems, have appealed to the public to hand over mysterious persons to the custody of them.

Meanwhile, Gotabaya Rajapakse, Sri Lanka’s Defense Secretary who met Muslim representatives from Kaaththaankudi had said the ‘grease devil’ story was a myth and there was no truth behind the allegation of SL Defence involvement. The panic had been created by those who wanted to fan “terrorism” again, Mr. Gotabhaya has said.

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