Teacher and manager arrested in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 August 1999, 12:01 GMT]
The manager of the Kiraan Multi Purpose co-operative Society (MPCS), Sivalingam Vijtharan, 28, was arrested by the Sri Lanka Army from his office yesterday at about 11.00 a.m., said sources.

He is currently being held by the 23-1 Brigade building at the Valaichenai paper factory, in the eastern Batticaloa district. The reason for his detention is not known, sources said.

Meanwhile Moothathamby Uthayakumar, a teacher at the Kadukkamunai Vaani Vidyalayam was arrested by the Sri Lanka Army on August 2.

He was arrested during a search operation in Naavatkuda, where he was visiting relatives.

Moothathamby is from Makiladithivu, an area west of Batticaloa that is not controlled by the Sri Lankan army.

Elsewhere in Batticaloa the police said that they found a powerful land mine near a sentry post at Uranai, on the Valaichenai main road, at around 10 a.m. today.

The mine was later diffused, the police said.

The police said that the Liberation Tigers had placed the mine during the night as the sentry is only manned during the day.