VVT murder inquiry to commence in Point Pedro Courts

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 December 2004, 20:23 GMT]
The non-summary inquiry into the murder of two Tamil youths while playing soccer in Valvettithurai (VVT) Chidambara College grounds on November 19 is to commence on 8 December, Wednesday, in the Point Pedro Magistrate Court, legal sources said.

Mr. Sathasivam Kumaran, 21 and Mr. Rasenthiram Sureshkumar, 21, were shot dead when unidentified gunmen wearing raincoats and helmets and riding a motorbike fired at random into a group of men playing soccer in Valvettithurai on November 19th Friday evening around 6.10 p.m., with a T-56 type assault rifle.

One Mr. Ponnuthurai Theiventhiram was wounded in the incident.

Meanwhile, parents of the dead youths have complained to the LTTE political office in VVT that they are being pressured by the VVT police to give evidence exonerating the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for involvement in the shooting incident.

The Police party, which went to VVT Sunday to meet the parents of the dead, had also intimidated the two eyewitnesses not to give evidence at the inquiry stating that the LTTE was responsible for the killings, civil sources said.

In the meantime, the Jaffna district SLA commander, Major General Sunil Tennekoon, has informed the parents of the dead youths in writing that SLA is not involved in the killings of their sons but some parties with vested interests are putting the blame on the SLA for the crime, civil sources said.