Body of Jaffna youth identified

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 February 2001, 06:17 GMT]
The body of a youth found near the Nanthavil Amman temple in Kondavil in Jaffna on Friday was identified by relatives Saturday evening as that of Kutaalam Muraleetharan. Residents found the body with its hands and feet tied up and eyes blindfolded. A relative of the youth said that Muraleetharan had earlier complained to the Human rights Commission in Jaffna that he was facing a dire threat from a paramilitary group working with the Sri Lanka army.

Upon being informed by the local residents, the Kopay Police removed the body and later on Friday handed it over to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

The Police said that they are investigating the circumstances of the youth's disappearance. Human rights sources said that Muraleetharan appears to have been tortured and killed.