Jaffna court postpones Habeas Corpus inquiry

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 August 2004, 02:04 GMT]
The Jaffna High Court Judge, Mr.K.P.S.Varatharajah, Monday put off the inquiry into a Habeas Corpus application filed by the father of a disappeared youth, after being arrested by the Sri Lanka Army in 1997, for October 18 as the defense submitted that the accused, Lieutenant Colonel Mahindaretna of the Sri Lanka Army, has been warded in the military hospital for kidney operation, legal sources said.

The petitioner, Mr. Kanapathipillai Velupillai, has filed the HC application seeking the court to order the accused SLA officer, Lt. Colonel Mahindaretna, to produce his son, Mr.Velupillai Uthayakumar, who was taken into custody by the accused SLA officer in 1997 when he was in charge of the Kodikamam-Eluwan area military camp in Thenmaradchchi division, legal sources said.

Accepting the application by the SLA legal officer, Captain Kuruppu, for a later date for the accused to attend court as he has been warded in military hospital for kidney operation, the High Court put off the inquiry for October 18, legal sources said.