Mannar Court releases refugees, orders remand for boatmen

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 June 2004, 11:27 GMT]
The Mannar Magistrate Mr. N.M.M.Abdullah Sunday released all 29 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees but ordered remand till June 10th for three boatmen, S.Jayarasa (27), S.Chandrabose (19) and A.Thavarajah (29) who brought them to the shore , legal sources in Mannar said. The three boatmen are Sri Lankan Tamils.

The Sri Lanka Navy Friday night took these refugees into custody with three boatmen in the Mannar Sea and handed them over to the Talaimannar Police for further action.

The Talaimannar Police Sunday produced them in the Mannar Magistrate’s Court.

According to released refugees that Indian boatmen who brought them to Sri Lanka dropped them on a sandbank in the sea and returned. Later three boats came to the scene and picked them. There were taken into custody when they were being transported to the Mannar coast, sources said.

The Mannar Magistrate ordered the civil authorities to send the released refugees to the native places Mannar, Vavuniya and Batticaloa.