Jaffna under tight security following Subathiran killing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 2003, 17:45 GMT]
Additional government troops and police personnel were deployed Saturday in Jaffna town and its suburbs following the killing of a senior member of the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) Varathar wing Mr. Kandiah Subathiran alias Robert, sources said

Kandiah Subathiran, defacto leader of EPRLF (Varathar wing) (Photo: The Hindu)

The body of the dead EPRLF Varathar wing leader was not handed over till Saturday evening to EPRLF supporters, as the magisterial inquest is not over, hospital sources said.

The security at three main SLA checkpoints at Vallai on Jaffna-Point Pedro road, Ayam on Point Pedro-Chavakachcheri road and Mulli on Point Pedro-Kodikamam road were tightened Saturday from 8 a.m. till five p.m. Civilians and vehicles were thoroughly checked by security forces at these checkpoints, sources said.

Passengers were asked to get down from buses and vehicles, and bags and baggage of passengers were checked by security before the vehicles were allowed to continue their journey, sources said.

Eelam Peoples' Revolutionary Liberation Front - (EPRLF-Varathar) is led by Varadarajaperumal who is living in India under the protection of the Indian Government. Varatharajaperumal's (Perumal's) EPRLF left militancy in 1988 at the instance of India and the Sri Lankan government and contested the NEP provincial council elections in the face of opposition from the LTTE.

In 1990, when the Indian army began withdrawing from Sri Lanka, Perumal feld to India.