Assault, detention of LTTE cadres sparks protest

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 April 2004, 18:36 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Police severely assaulted and detained two members of the Liberation Tigers’ sports division Friday at Puthur Junction in Jaffna. Several civilians and a journalist were also assaulted and manhandled by the Police when the two Tigers were taken away in a truck. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Atchuvely Police station where the two LTTE cadres were detained Friday night, protesting against the assault and demanding their immediate release.

Three Jaffna MPs, Mr. R. Gajendran, Mr. M. K Sivajilingam and Ms. Padmini Sithambaranathan, joined the protest before the Atchuvely Police.

Civilians and the journalist who were assaulted and manhandled at Puthur Junction said that the Police stopped the motorbike on which the two LTTE cadres had come and snatched its keys. The Policemen had then asked them for the motorbike’s papers. The Tigers had said they could not produce the identity papers unless they had the keys.

The Policemen had then severely beaten up the two LTTE cadres and taken them away in a truck to Atchuvely.

Civilians and the journalist who were assaulted by the Police at Puthur Junction said that some of the Policemen were inebriated.

Sub Inspector (SI) Mr. Duminda Rajapaksha led the Police party that assaulted the Tiger cadres, sources said.

However, senior Police officers defused the tension by making the SI apologise to the Tigers and the journalist in public at the Puthur Junction later on Friday night.